The Magpie's Broken Wing
by DarkAsTheNightSky
Summary: (AU) The Magpie was a thief who stole only the things that shone. He stole away a woman for the glow of her hair. It was lucky that she was returned unharmed...but bald. Now, after many years the new Magpie has come to take his father's place causing fear amongst the villagers. Is the woman's daughter safe? (There are no demons, hanyous, etc. in this story.)
1. Prologue

**The Magpie's Broken Wing**

**A/N: Ok, so I haven't given up on Beware of Me! I just don't have the rest of it with me at this precise moment… So, I decided to keep you interested in me and post the prologue to my new story… Please review and tell me what you think! If you like it I will write more! **

**Prologue**

_ The Magpie struck again that night. He only came on the nights without a moon and only stole from houses that were empty. They called him the Magpie because he only stole things that shone. Valuably furniture was left. Portraits worth thousands ignored. But every knife and fork would be gone. Every silver ornament never to be seen again._

_ The Magpie had never been seen. It was only by assumption that they called him a male. But he frustrated others. They all knew which night he would strike. They all knew which houses he preferred to rob. So on the night of the new moon all houses would be occupied. All the men would be seated in their front hall, their hunting rifle against their chest and their fingers on the trigger. All the women would sit in their bed, the covers pulled up to their chin, enjoying the exhilaration of danger._

_ But there was always one. There was always one house. Perhaps the man heard a sound and went to check on the gardens. He would venture back to into his home to find it almost empty. It was almost inconceivable. The Master of the house had been gone for a matter of seconds. Either the Magpie was the leader of an impressive gang or…he wasn't human._

_ But no one was truly bothered by him. He was an inconvenience true, but cutlery is always simple to replace, and silver not difficult to love. But at one house the Magpie stole a little more than objects. The man's wife disappeared that night as well._

_ It was a most strange turn of events. Nobody had heard her leave. She had not raised any fuss if she was kidnapped. The servant standing outside her door swore that no one had entered or left her room and the window was locked with the key in the kitchen. But that was not the strangest detail._

_ Her husband, upon opening the door was suddenly lost in a flurry of rose petals. They blew through his hair and into his eyes. But they were not red, no they were white and some of them dyed black. It was as if the Magpie was living up to his name, for it was most certainly he. The bed looked as if it had never been slept upon. There was no comforting indent in the pillow where the woman had laid her head. The sheets were as smooth as the day they were ironed and neatly tucked in at the bottom. And upon the smoothened pillow there lay a note which read:_

_** My greetings to the Master of the House,**_

_**I fear that the hair upon your lady's head shone far too brightly too resist. My apologies for the inconvenience but we men are spontaneous creatures are we not?**_

_**Yours Sincerely, the Magpie**_

_ The note caused such anger amongst the men! For it was not only that he had taken a wife, but that he dared sign himself off as the Magpie! They could see him laughing in his cave! (For of course he would live in one as all outlaws do.) He was making a jest of their insult. That was found almost as unforgivable as the kidnapping._

_ Some days later the woman was found seated in the woodland surrounding the village. She was clothed in a gown of such fine silk it felt like water and around her throat hung pearls of the finest value. Her skin was as clean and pale as it had ever been and she wore a hat of the finest make. In all honesty it was the hat that drew most attention. No one could agree on what colour it was; some said blue, others green, occasionally there were a few who insisted it was of sunset tones. It had a wide brim that shaded her face in the most appealing of manners and gave her whole appearance a fairly mystical air._

_ Another peculiarity was that her face was made up. Her lips painted a subtle red and her cheeks brushed with powder. They could not see her eyes for they were bound shut with a silken ash blindfold._

_ The woman was silent as they led her back to her house. They did not remove the blindfold for fear that she would be traumatized by her surroundings. They worried for her in the patronizing way that only men can. But still…she would not speak._

_ Back at her home her husband gave a cry of relief and lifted her hat so he could kiss her. The room fell silent. For where her hair should have been she had none. It had been cut from her scalp and taken away. She sat there, head bowed as the men stared._

_ She did not speak for days. And to the men she did not speak for months. It was only to her closest friends that she told a little of her tale…_

_ "I was awoken quite late at night by a strange noise. I sounded peculiarly like pebbles against my window. I went to open it but was unable to do so without a key and so returned to bed. But I could not get back to sleep for the sounds continued. Eventually, I abandoned my bed and sat beside the window, waiting to see what was causing the sound."_

_ "Were you not afraid?" interrupted a friend. "It was the night of the Magpie. Anything could have happened." The woman laughed._

_ "I did not think to be afraid. The right word would be curious. I wanted to know what caused the noise. I found that there was a delicious air of mystery to the whole event. There was no moon and-"The woman suddenly paused, frowning as a thought struck her. "There weren't any stars either. The night sky was as black as tar, but it still glowed…" Her sentence trailed into nothing and her friends sat silent, waiting for her to continue._

_ "It was as if the sky was a blanket!" The woman smiled, relieved to have put her thoughts to words. "It was a black shroud flung over a bright light. No cracks could be seen but the glow of the light was still visible! It was like daylight but through a black veil." Her friends looked at her and shook their heads. For there could not be a glowing night. Light belonged to the day and dark belonged to the night. If the woman had noticed their glances she did not let on. The story continued._

_ "As I sat the noises suddenly stopped and everything was silent."_

_ "Could you not hear the voices? There were people patrolling the streets and the woods all night long. They were far from silent." The woman took her time replying to the second interruption._

_ "I could hear them but I couldn't. They were as unimportant as a bird song. When I heard the pebble sound it filled my ears and when they stopped it was as if all I could hear was their absence. Other sounds did not matter and I did not register them." A general air of enthrallment filled the room._

_ "As I sat there I realized that someone else was in my bedroom. It was not that I heard him or that I saw him, but I just knew. So we-"_

_ "How could you not have been scared then?!" The friend from earlier broke in once more. "There was a strange man in your room! Why were you not terrified?"_

_ "Because there was no reason to be afraid. There are people in this world who you know are no good at a first glance; and then there are the ones who you can tell are good. They may not smile and look kind but you can just… you can just tell." She was quite for a little, waiting for another interruption. When none came she began once more._

_ "I did not turn round because I was afraid that if I did the room would be empty. For some reason I wanted the person to be there. I wanted to see him."_

_ "There was not a sound but somehow I could feel him walking forwards. I could feel him getting closer. And that was when I turned around."_

_ "What did he look like?!"_

_ "Was he young?"_

_ "Did he carry weapons?" _

_ "Did he have battle scars?"_

_ The woman waited until the question died out before continuing her tale._

_ "He was clothed in all black. A black so deep that it seemed to melt into the shadows. His face was covered by silken cloth, also black and all I could see where his eyes. They were…purple. Violet even. And his skin was so pale it was nearly clear." There was another silence as the woman became lost in thought._

_ "His hair?" She was brought back with another question._

_ "Black." She did not elaborate anymore on this and instead started to carry on. But that was not to be accepted by her friends who demanded a better explanation._

_ "I don't know, it was just…black. It was as black as black could get. You see some people who have black hair that appears brown in the sunlight. And there are some whose hair is almost black. But his was not. It was most definitely black."_

_ "Like the night sky?" There was almost a scornful edge to that question._

_ "No, for his hair had no glow to it. It had a shine but the sky had seemed to be bright within itself." She stopped and looked around the room. "Are there to be any more questions or may I continue?" The room was silent._

_ "He looked at me for a while and then removed his mask. He smiled at me and began to laugh. I am not sure why he laughed but I know that it was not at me. Maybe he was just laughing because he felt like it but I joined in. You do not realize how nice it was to laugh. Properly laugh I mean. Laugh that did not need be held back for society's sake. He stopped and smiled at me once more. _

_ 'Do you want to come with me?' I nodded and I am still unsure why. I did not know anything about him and he knew nothing about me. But I wanted to go. I wanted to leave with him. So, I did not think, and I did."_

_ "But __how__ did you leave? Nobody saw you."_

_ "I myself am not sure of what happened. It seemed like one second we were in my bedroom and the next we were in the woods. But it did not matter at the time. I suddenly felt very unrestricted. Very…free one might say. The two of us ran through the woods and as we ran more and more people came out from the trees and ran with us. There must have been at least one hundred of us when we reached the village. For that was what it was like. A small group of huts huddled closely together."_

_ "In front of the houses sat a small boy, his hair the same black as the man beside me. He stood up when he saw us arrive and ran to my companion who lifted him into the air. It struck me at that point that no one had even considered the thought that the Magpie had a family. But there before me stood a boy who couldn't have been anything but his son."_

_ "A son?! But surely, if he has a son he must have a wife as well! How could you have stayed with a married man?!"_

_ "There was no mention of a wife or love of any kind. She did not appear throughout the whole duration of my stay and no one hinted that she existed. Maybe she died, maybe she ran away, I do not know." Her friends re-seated themselves, mollified with her explanation._

_ "Those few days were the most fun that I have ever had. I did things that I would never have imagined doing once before. I got my hands dirty. I got my clothes dirty. I played with that little boy, I actually played with him! Something I have always longed to do with my own daughter was playing out." Again, she stopped to talk, lost in her memories._

_ "Did he kiss you?" All her friends leaned forward at this question for it was what they were all dying to know. The woman had the decency to lower her head a little and blush before replying._

_ "Once, but you must never tell my husband!" She looked up in sudden panic, realizing all that she was saying could be dangerous. The other women hurriedly assured her of their silence, eager for her to continue._

_ "It was not a romantic kiss. It was not dramatic. But it was…normal." The woman lowered her eyes once more._

_ "Normal?" they pressed._

_ "I was playing with his son outside of the little hut. He came out and I could feel him watching us. He walked over and stood above us. I looked up to speak to him and he just leaned down." She watched her friends cautiously. "It was the kiss a husband would give his wife." All the other women leaned back in disappointment. They had been wanting something wonderful, something forbidden. _

_ "But it was interesting." Their attention returned to her. "When he kissed me, it was in a way that my husband had never had."_

_ "Then why did you come back? If it was as magical as you say."_

_ "I would have done. But I was afraid that if I stayed too long the magic of it would vanish. That it would become as dull and long as my life is here. I would rather spend but a few days, and remember the time as perfect, than live the rest of my life in regret."_

_ "So how did you persuade him to let you back?"_

_ "He did not need persuading. I told him my reasoning and he agreed. He brought out the clothes for me, said I could not go back looking mistreated."_

_ "Why were you blindfolded?"_

_ "It was what I asked for. I did not want to see where the village was. I did not want to picture it the woods I have always lived beside." _

_ "But your hair?"_

_ The woman laughed at that._

_ "It was just before he left me. He did not ask for it. I was not sure what he was doing until I felt the weight of it leave my shoulders."_

_ "But what did he say as he did it?"_

_ "Nothing. He left me in the same way he had arrived. Without a sound, but I knew."_

_ "And then you were found?"_

_ "Yes." The friends realized that the story was done and they took their leave. As they passed through the living room her husband stood to meet them._

_ "Did she tell you anything?" His face was blank but his eyes worried. The women held a silent conference and then shook their heads._

_ "Nothing." They left it at that and all went their own ways. The secret was not for them to share._

_ The next month all the men were ready for the Magpie and all the women, rather than in their beds, sat at their windows, they're hearts in their mouths. But he did not come. Nor the next month or the month after that. He was gone. The Magpie had taken flight._

_ The woman's hair grew back and she slowly became more like herself, much to the reassurance of her husband. But, at night she would tell the story to her daughter. One night she took out what she had kept from her friends._

_ "Isn't it lovely?" she asked her daughter, holding out. Her daughter looked and in her mother's palm there laid a bracelet. But it was not a bracelet as she had known for it was made of hair. A strand of black hair was plaited into a strand similar to that of her mother's. _

_ For it had been a lie when the woman told her friends that the Magpie had left with nothing more. She had this. Two colours making one. She picked up her daughter's wrist and slid the bracelet on._

_ "Look at it Kagome," she whispered. "Isn't beautiful?"_

**A/N: Well anyway, don't forget to review! If you like it, tell me, and I will write more chapters!**


	2. For We All Return in the End

**The Magpie's Broken Wing**

**Chapter 1: For We All Return in the End**

**A/N: Ok, so I am hoping the story will get more popular as time goes on. So, I didn't like the way I posted Beware of Me (my other story) with doing a chapter a day and now having to make people wait for weeks for the new chapters. *Ahem* So I will post this story a little differently. I am going to post a chapter every Friday so if you like my story then it will be a Friday treat and if you don't, then…it won't. Anyway, I promise to try as hard as I can to stick to that system and hope that it works out for everyone! Enjoy the first chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I seem to have forgotten this in the prologue but I don't own Inuyasha either way!**

The sky was especially black that night. But the stars shone more brightly than one could imagine and they lit Kagome's bedroom like daylight. It was the starlight that woke her. She opened her eyes slowly and walked to the window. The window seat was cooler than usual, chilled by the lack of sun.

What had she been dreaming of? It had been a pleasant dream, one she regretted leaving. But that was the characteristic of dreams was it not? They always end, just as you wish them to last forever.

Dreams. Kagome pressed her forehead against the window and blew against the misty glass. They felt so real whilst happening but once you awoke you could see all that was wrong, all that was incorrect. A small detail made itself known in her head. In her dream she had been with someone. But who?

Abandoning the night sky Kagome turned back to her bedroom. Lifting one hand she absently stroked her curtains. They were very light curtains, probably why the stars had shone inside so brightly. The whole of her bedroom was lightly decorated. It was her only criteria when the room was done. She didn't want to feel 'smothered' as she had put it.

She moved back towards her bed, lay down, and shut her eyes but sleep is a tricky thing. Once you have woken it is only too easy to stay that way. So Kagome lay for a moment, she lay and allowed her mind to wander. Again it was drawn back to the subject of her dream. Why did she feel the need to remember it so badly?

But all she could remember was that it had been…nice. Just that, it was impossible to put into words, even when speaking to herself. The only word she could think of was…nice.

She must have fallen back to sleep at one point because when she next opened her eyes the air was pink rather than silver and the temperature a few degrees higher. Kagome climbed from beneath her sheets and shivered in the morning air. She had not felt that chill the previous night. Walking quickly across the room she reached her dressing gown and wrapped it around her body. It was of no use. A cold dressing gown does not provide much warmth.

She made her way back to her bed, ignoring her slippers. While the air was cold the ground was pleasantly cool. A fire must have been lit in the room below, preventing the floor from reaching icy conditions. The air felt strangely stuffy for such a clear morning and Kagome went to open her window. The morning wind breathed its way in and curled itself in her bedroom corners before sinking to settle at the ground. Kagome leaned out and inhaled slowly, tasting the forest air on the back of her tongue. A brisk knock at her bedroom door broke through her thoughts and Kagome turned away from the breeze.

"Come in."

The door opened slowly and a maid walked in, her head bowed.

"Lord Kouga to see you miss."

Kagome sighed and gave one last glance towards her window seat. "Bring him to the front room and tell him to expect me in a few minutes." The maid nodded her consent and left Kagome to dress herself.

She let her dressing gown and nightdress slip to the ground and stood shivering, the hairs on her arms rising in the cold. She stood still for a few moments before moving towards her wardrobe.

She opened the door a crack and plunged her hand in, amongst the silks and furs of her dresses. It was a habit that Kagome had possessed since a young age. It was how she chose what to wear that day. She chose the one that felt the nicest.

Today, being the temperature it was her hand strayed towards the furs and she pulled out and ermine shawl. Kagome laughed silently at the thought of greeting Kouga wearing just that. It would probably cause a heart attack. Instead she pulled a dress from her wardrobe. This one was very soft silk and an icy blue, fitting for a day with such biting wind.

She dressed herself slowly and sat on her bed to brush her hair. A strand of it fell from her head to her lap and she twisted it absent-mindedly. Her back stiffened as she remembered something. In her dream her hair had been brown. Not black with a slight shine but a soft chestnut tone that fell gently down her spine. Kagome set her brush down slowly. It was all coming back.

She had been running through the forest, hair flying around her face, unrestrained by pins and ribbons. Someone had been running beside her but she could not see him clearly. She had not been afraid though. This person would not hurt her. And that was it. Surely not. There must have been more to her dream than that mustn't there?

Kagome resumed brushing her hair slightly disappointed with what she remembered. It had not been worth all the effort she put in. Running? Running towards what? Running away from what? Running with what? Why just running? Feeling mildly underwhelmed by it all Kagome brushed powder along her cheeks and pushed two jewels into her ears. Standing back, she admired her reflection. Kagome was a very attractive young girl and it is unfortunate to say she knew it. Every human being has a flaw and Kagome's was, you could say, her vanity. She enjoyed her reflection. And she loved having people admire her. She was a person aware of her beauty.

And in all honesty she could not help it. There are children who grow up in the world being told how worthless they are and as thus, the children grow up worthless. What you are told helps shape what you become. Kagome had been told countless amounts of times how pretty she was and there comes a point where you just accept it as it is. There was only one person who had not simpered over Kagome for many years. And that, bizarrely enough, was her mother.

Kagome could remember when her mother used to try and visit her every chance she got. She remembered when her mother would sneak into her bedroom late at night and tell her stories. She had told Kagome often of the Magpie, a tale so well-known Kagome could recite it off by heart. In her mother's tone there had always been hope and Kagome knew that her mother believed the Magpie would return. But he did not, and the hope that had once kept her mother alive instead, started to kill her.

She became more and more silent, more and more withdrawn. The stories and laughter with Kagome became less frequent and eventually stopped altogether. Her mother would sit at the window and stare into the forest for hours on end. Kagome's father attempted to speak to her and she would respond but Kagome could hear it. She could hear the absence of love in her mother's voice. What frightened her was that when she spoke to her mother she could feel the love vanishing from their conversation as well.

Her mother mostly spoke of the boy. The boy from the story, the Magpie's son. She spoke about him with such care, and a motherly gleam would edge into her eye. In the absence of the boy she had romanticized his image, making him become as near to an angel as he could possibly become. She forgot every one of his faults and in her mind pictured him to be her son.

Over time Kagome learnt to leave her mother alone. It was not worth the effort to receive love. She would never compare to the angel boy in her mother's mind. She hated that boy.

Perhaps that is why she allowed herself to become so conceited. Perhaps she needed the reassurance that she was special. Perhaps she needed the knowledge that other people thought her perfect. Or perhaps she was just an unpleasant child.

Another knock startled Kagome from her thoughts and she stood hurriedly, knocking her hairbrush to the floor. As she bent to pick it up a different maid from before entered.

"Please my lady," the maid's voice was worried. "Lord Kouga is becoming impatient. He is threatening to leave soon."

"Then let him." Kagome turned back to her mirror and began to pile her hair onto her head. "It is not our fault he chose to call on me so early in the morning. It is more of an inconvenience to us than it is to him is it not?"

"He wishes to tell you about the hunt my Lady." The maid's lips began to twitch. Kagome laughed.

"Why does he need to tell me what animals he has killed when the sun has only just risen?"

"No my Lady! The hunt is today! He believes you are interested in the details and wishes to keep you involved in what happens!"

"Then it would be much less of a waste of time if he were to merely leave now. I have no interest in what has not yet happened."

The maid opened her mouth to begin yet another plead when a different thought overtook her.

"Do you not like to know what shall happen?" Kagome shook her head briskly, checking the stability of her bun before replying.

"I like to know what is definite. I like to know what is real. What has happened cannot be undone. But anyone can change the future." She paused for a moment. "We shall leave it that I do not like to rely on something that is based on many others' decisions. One wrong choice and everything can tumble down."

"But it will affect you whether you pay attention or not."

"Which is why I intend to have as little to do with anyone as possible. What happens to anyone else is not my issue. And I shall ordain to keep it that way."

"You don't want to have someone to support you or for you to support?" The maid became as scornful as she dared. Kagome allowed herself another laugh.

"I know more than anyone how unreliable I am. And knowing that I cannot trust myself how could I ever trust another?" The maid had no response for this and left Kagome with a final reminder of Kouga.

Once alone Kagome sank to the floor beside her bed and laughed. It was not a healthy laugh. It was the hysterical, breathy laugh of one trying not to cry. She gasped and choked on her giggles, and her chuckles stuck in a lump at the back of her throat. Eventually she gave up and sat quietly.

"It would not be necessary," she informed the silence of her bedroom. "It would not be safe to allow someone close to me. I don't want it. I don't need anything. I have me. Me. I know me well. Me-I I am good. I am good enough." She murmured to herself for a few minutes more and angrily brushed away a stray tear that escaped without permission. In doing so she hit her face a little harder than necessary and gave a frustrated cry as a result. In another few minutes she sat on her window seat, quite composed, letting the wind dry her face. She turned, stared at her door for a little while, opened it… and Kagome left. The words she had whispered to herself hung heavy around her bedroom walls and twisted themselves into her hair. They would not be leaving anytime soon.

Kouga was pacing the room impatiently by the time Kagome arrived and turned angrily when he heard her footsteps. His expression calmed when he saw it was her, and not yet another maid postponing Kagome's arrival. He walked forward stiffly and bent over her hand.

"My lady Kagome, and how does this fine day greet you?"

"Well." Kagome extracted her hand from his and walked to a seat. She sat down without a word and watched for his move. After a few seconds he took the chair opposite her and leaned against the back rest.

"I hope I did not come at an inconvenient time." Kouga's voice held a bitter edge. He had not appreciated the long wait.

"Not at all." Kagome offered him an apologetic smile. "I hope you can forgive me for sleeping so late."

"To the contrary, I am glad to see you so well rested." A silence descended on the two and they sat for a while, Kagome still smiling.

He is fool, she thought, to believe his presence a pleasure. To feel that I would like nothing more than to hear a description of his day this early in the morning. The thought that she had already been awake had slipped Kagome's mind and instead she felt frustration at being woken. She suddenly raised her head when she realized that Kouga had begun to speak once more.

"-plan to go further into the forest than usual. The wildlife has quite died around the edges of the woodland."

"Perhaps it is because you hunt too often. The animals have no time to recover before you set out to kill them once more…." Kagome trailed off as Kouga shook his head slowly.

"It is not that," he replied. "The decrease is too severe to be believable. It is as if someone else has come and is hunting our creatures."

"My Lord, that is unrealistic. There is no other village around for miles. No one would travel such a distance merely to hunt."

"We know that." Kouga's brow was furrowed with thought. "But that is the only logical explanation. The animals cannot simple be dying off, for we have found no carcasses, they seem to be just vanishing." Kagome laughed at that.

"Animals don't disappear Lord Kouga, I am sure that you will find them to have moved to another area of the forest. You have been hunting for so many years I am sure even the animals know your tricks."

Kouga gave her a smile that didn't reach his eyes. He rather fancied himself as an intelligent, lean hunter, who crept silently through the undergrowth, his sharp eyes never missing the twitch of a leaf. He did not appreciate the thought that his motions were predictable.

Kagome stood, motioning for Kouga to take his leave. He did so with a bow and several more unnecessary words before she was alone. And there she stayed for a small while, relishing the lack of words. Kagome had never yet met a person who did not feel the need to talk continually. She had never met another who loved the peace of quiet as much as she.

She made her way into the breakfast room and sat beside the window. The sun was shining and the forest was bright and green. A breeze ruffled the needles of the pines gently and a startled bird took flight, black against the pale sky.

Kagome looked down suddenly at the plate of bread before her; when had it arrived? Paying no more thought to that she picked a slice up and began to eat. She did not spread her bread, she never did. She liked the plain taste of it, it tasted honest.

Later that morning Kagome walked through the gardens with her father. While her mother had faded into the background Kagome's father always stood out in her mind. He was a kind man, if not overly intelligent, and loved his daughter well. They walked together often, as they both enjoyed naming wildflowers. But today, her father spoke of something different.

"Young Kouga visits often." Kagome nodded.

"He wishes to involve me in whatever is going on." Her father looked up sharply.

"Do you feel uninvolved, Kagome?" She shook her head firmly.

"I prefer it this way. I am not interested in the comings and goings of the town."

"Perhaps it would be easier for you to have a husband." Kagome looked to one side warily.

"I have no wish for a husband."

"Most of your friends are happily married."

"They are foolish and did not marry out of love."

"Marriage is not often a case of love."

"Mine shall be."

"It will be difficult to fall in love when you stubbornly avoid others."

"It is because I know that the one I love is not amongst them."

"You have not spoken to them all Kagome!"

"I do not need to." Kagome's father sighed in exasperation.

"You do speak to Kouga quite often at least."

"Only because he insists on seeing me." Kagome eyed her father suspiciously. "Why do you keep mentioning Lord Kouga?"

"He has asked me for your hand." Kagome stopped walking suddenly and looked at the ground.

"You didn't agree did you?" Her words came out quieter than she had intended and she immediately wished that she hadn't sounded so weak.

"It'll be good for you."

"No!"

"You'll be able to see more people, meet more people."

"I don't want to! I'm happy!"

"You could be happier." Kagome stared at her father for a while, her eyes growing hot.

"How could you know?" This time her voice came out as a whisper.

"I can see it in your face."

"But you cannot hear it in my voice? I am telling you father, I swear with my entire being, that I am happy. I like being alone. I do not want a husband."

"You are too young to know what it is like to live your whole life without another." There was a silence after this. Kagome knew what her father was talking about. He had his other but she was never there. She was merely an object to fill a seat.

"Will you marry Lord Kouga?" Kagome still did not speak and her father took that as approval. "I shall tell him you agreed tomorrow." He walked away and left Kagome alone.

For the rest of the day Kagome did not talk to another. She sat beside her window and watched the world. She watched the sky lose its blue and cloud over with grey. She watched the pine trees darken from green to black. She watched the birds return to roost for the night. And still she did not move. She did not eat for the rest of the day and instead remained inside her bedroom.

But then, something in the atmosphere changed. There was a crackle in the air, not lightening but something… more.

Suddenly there was an outbreak of noise as many others burst into her home along with her father. Curiousity got the better of her and Kagome ventured forth to see what had happened. Along the upstairs corridor she ran into her mother who was pressing her face against a window. Kagome stood beside her and looked into the grey as well. She could not see anything but the clouds and the trees but her mother's breaths sped up in excitement.

"He's back!" she whispered so quietly Kagome could barely hear. "The Magpie! He's back!"

**A/N: What did you think? Please review and tell me! **

**Next chapter: Because Everyone Wants Excitement**

**-DarkAsTheNightSky**


	3. Because Everyone Wants Excitement

**Chapter 2: Because Everyone Wants Excitement**

**A/N: Bonjour everyone! It is Friday and I am back again. Actually I've just been instructed that it's Thursday... I got my days mixed up-again! I'm really good at that. Guess I'm posting this tomorrow then. Anyway, thank you to those who have waited and on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha**

The whole of the village was filled with noise. Everyone moved in and out of many other's homes and the chatter only rose in volume as the night led on. Kagome sat in a corner and watched her father talk with a group of men his own age. He appeared to grow agitated and began to move his hands in frustration. Kagome knew that he was worried. It was the Magpie who took his wife.

Kagome's mother, completely against her own will, was locked in a room without windows. Nobody wished for her to vanish again. There was a suspicious silence from the room and in the end a maid was ordered to sit with the woman and watch her carefully. There was a general feeling of distrust.

Kagome found herself feeling quite sorry for her mother. It was an emotion she was not used to and had no desire to feel again. But she remembered the expression on her mother's face as she looked out of the window. She remembered how happy her mother's smile had been.

Against her will Kagome felt the excitement of the evening beginning to slip through her veins. She had heard of the Magpie many times. She had pointedly made herself despise him, but still, she wanted to see the man that had made such a difference of her mother.

And he did come. Everyone had been so sure that every house was covered, every place protected. But he still managed to arrive. This time he stole less than he usually did. Not everything was gone. It was odd. In the past the Magpie had made sure that the cutlery was the first thing taken, but this time not a knife was touched. The forks sat innocently in their drawer and the spoons lay comfortably to one side. It was most out of character.

"A different man?" Kagome could hear an edge of hope in her father's voice.

"We can't know," replied a friend. "Thieves can be very random in their behaviour. It is part of the craft. You must never use the same trick too often."

"No women were taken," added another.

"But women are never taken," corrected the first. "Lord Higurashi's wife was the exception."

Kouga walked from another crowd of men towards Kagome, interrupting her eavesdropping.

"I hope that you have not been too alarmed by this night."

"Not alarmed in the slightest." Kagome offered a tight smile. "In fact, I find the whole event rather thrilling." Kouga gave her a wary look and took the seat beside her.

"You should not talk like that; we cannot have you disappearing in the same fashion as your mother."

"You can put your mind at ease my Lord. I have no intention of escape." He nodded absently and changed the subject.

"Your father told you of my proposal?"

"I do not think now is the right time to discuss this, my Lord."

"It is as good a time as any." Kagome laughed at that.

"In the excitement of the evening I had quite forgotten it!"

"Your father told me you agreed." There was no reply from the seat beside him. "Did you?"

"If my father told you as thus are you not going to take his word?"

"A father's word is different from his daughter's."

"No wiser words have been said." Kagome looked forward, lost in thought.

"So, my Lady, what is your reply?"

"I do not know."

"You do not know?"

"It is a difficult question to answer you see. One word is going to change everything."

"You do not say that like it is a good thing." Kagome leaned back in her seat.

"I do not know if it is a good thing."

"I find myself feeling rather insulted," Kouga sighed. "I had been looking forward to a marriage with you. He looked over and noticed Kagome shudder slightly. "Are you cold?"

"I am fine." Kagome smiled and straightened her back. "It is merely the word marriage."

"Marriage scares you?"

"No." Kagome looked at Kouga wondering if she should be honest. The unreality of the evening struck her and she plunged into an explanation. "It is more like it worries me. Forever is a very long time to be with one person. It would have to be someone I truly and deeply loved." Kouga frowned.

"You do not love me?"

"I had never thought of it before you asked my father." Kagome thought for a moment before speaking once more. "Do you love me?"

"You are beautiful. You can be polite in company and fun when it is just us two. I enjoy being by your side."

"It sounds merely as if we are friends."

"Wouldn't you rather marry a friend than a stranger?" Kagome was lost for a moment. She had not considered that. But after some thought she replied.

"It is possible to fall in love with a stranger. I could never fall in love with a friend." Kagome stood and left with those words. She was done with the conversation. It had been getting dull.

She passed her mother's bedroom on the way to her own and was struck by how quiet it was. Her mother had always been a calm person but you would have thought she would have raised a fuss at this. Kagome dismissed the idea from her mind as unimportant and carried on to bed. It was late. There was enough time for excitement tomorrow.

Morning came swiftly and Kagome was woken once more by the early sun. The day was a little warmer than the previous and again she felt no need for her dressing gown. She walked downstairs for breakfast, not bothering to change from her nightshift. The morning was still young. Not many would be awake yet.

Her presumption was proven incorrect as she saw her mother seated at the head of the table. She looked up and offered her daughter a tired smile. Kagome sat down cautiously unsure of how to react; her mother did not often appear.

"Sit closer." The older woman motioned with a hand and Kagome did as ordered. "What would you like to eat?"

"It does not matter."

"I feel in the mood for toast." A maid walked up smartly and set a toast rack before the two. Kagome's mother took a piece and spread it slowly. She looked up as Kagome did not move. "Eat."

Kagome did so and the two sat together for a while before her mother spoke again.

"You are to marry Kouga soon, I hear."

"It is a statement that I grow tired of."

"Do you love him?"

"And a question I've tired of even more."

"Those are not the loving comments of a soon-to-be-bride."

"I am afraid this soon-to-be-bride is not of the loving nature." Kagome's eyes narrowed as she avoided her mother's gaze. She was startled by a sudden laugh.

"I feel sympathy for young Kouga. You, my dear, shall not be a docile wife." Her mother smiled at her. "What do you think of the marriage?"

"I would rather it be with one I love."

"Marriage is not often out of love." Kagome looked at her curiously.

"Father said the same thing."

"I suppose it should be expected," her mother replied carefully. "We have lived together so long it is inevitable that we pick up the other's mannerisms."

"Do you love Father?" A silence descended upon the table.

"Yes I do." The sentence was accompanied with a tired smile. "You learn to love them eventually." She left quickly after that, leaving her daughter to finish her breakfast in solitude.

It was an odd way to put it, Kagome mused as she bit into her bread. To say that you learn to love them eventually. Is it that uncommon to find your true love? She thought back to all the novels she had read throughout her years. They all ended happily. More often than not it was with a kiss. But of course that was unrealistic. Books had no sense of reality. There was a definite bad and a definite good in each one. That was far from the truth. Every human being on this earth, however perfect they may seem, contains a strand of evil. Some allow their evil to grow; they feed with bitter thoughts and resentment. Others are better at concealing it. They bury their evil and try to forget its existence. That was what books always ignored. It was rare for them to make every character truly believable.

Kagome heard footsteps echo into the breakfast room and hurriedly took her leave. Her father would not approve of her morning attire, most improper.

So she hurried back to her bedroom and took her time getting dressed. There was not special event that would be occurring that day. There was no reason for her to rush. But that was rather the story of Kagome's life. It was long, dull and meandering. It probably would be until the day she died. There were no plans of adventure. She gave a sigh and sat at the edge of her window sill.

Once she married Kouga she would leave this home. She would have a new house and a new life. But what could have been an exciting prospect was dulled by reality. Kagome knew that in her new house she would probably spend her days on yet another window seat, looking at merely another view. How…peaceful it would be.

That was a good way to describe her life. Peaceful, uneventful, familiar, _mundane_. Something caught the corner of Kagome's eye and she opened her window to get a better look. There, caught in the seal of a window pane, was a bird's feather. Both ends were black, glowing blue in the sunshine and the centre section was white, pure against the dark of its ends. A magpie feather.

Kagome twirled it in-between her fingers, admiring the sun's broken reflection. She had never given much thought to feathers before. They were part of a bird. They flew in the breeze. Perhaps it was because this bird feather was different. There was no dirt marring its shine. No part of the feather was missing or broken. It was just…perfect.

Kagome made her way to the library. There must be a book on birds somewhere. She did not know why she felt the sudden urge to learn, it was a pastime she had hated since young. But she had suddenly felt quite dim when she found the feather for she knew nothing more about it than its origin.

Kagome eventually found the book and sat down beside the fire. It was not lit and the ashy grate looked cold and uninviting. She looked at it for a while. The fires were supposed to be stoked and lit before the family had risen from bed. But of course the library was not often used; it would be a waste of wood to warm it. Making a mental note to mention that to a maid later, Kagome opened her book. She spent the rest of the day in the library and towards evening opened the final volume.

Magpies were everything they could be: scavengers, predators, they rid trees of their pests. But they were not often kind. They were territorial creatures and their arrogance made other birds wary. For the text made special note of the magpie's character. It's pride. Non-breeding birds flocked together, so that you could not tell which had a partner or not. They appeared to give the impression of having no weakness.

Magpies could be found mainly across England and Scotland; it was rare to see them anywhere else, and they remained in their territory all year round. They were not small birds and could grow to the length of up to-

Kagome shut the book with a bang. She had no interest in the size of the birds, which the book had many paragraphs on. She wanted to know of their personalities, and the paragraph she had read made Magpie seem a fitting title for a thief. For every thief must be arrogant must they not? In order for them to have the confidence to walk into another's home they must think themselves wonderful.

Kagome returned the book to the shelf and kicked the fireplace savagely. Ashes swirled through the air, coating her clothes and causing her to choke. She hastily retreated from the room and swore lightly beneath her breath. That move could have been more intelligent.

A maid passed and stared slightly at Kagome's dusty appearance. She stopped at a wave from her mistress and moved forward, her eyes down.

"Fire in library needs-needs sweeping," wheezed Kagome, leaning against the door. She coughed a couple more times in a vain attempt to clear her lungs. "Clean it all-no ashes anywhere-fireplace lit-get someone else to run me a bath-no ashes! Get all the ashes away-think I'm allergic…" The last phrase was muttered slightly to herself and Kagome made her way off, still gagging occasionally.

Kagome did not think a bath had ever felt nicer. Throughout her whole life she had been fairly protected from the evils of dirt, and every time she had bathed she only came out a little cleaner than she was before. Because of that Kagome had never really known what it felt like to be truly dirty. This was the first time she had felt properly and pleasantly scrubbed.

Kagome left the bath and admired her face in the mirror. She found herself looking quite nice for so late in the day, her cheeks flushed from the heat of her bath and her eyes bright. Hurriedly, she clothed herself and went downstairs, wishing to be seen in her clean image.

But she did not receive the compliments she was waiting for. In the waiting room sat her father, amongst his many friends, discussing how to prepare for the next month. It was safer for them to assume that the Magpie was here to stay for a while now. They could not afford to drop their guard, even when not new moon.

This frustrated Kagome a little. She did not like it when people did not acknowledge her presence in a room. It made her feel very much… not there. Like a stranger in her own home. She walked over and sat beside her father in time to catch the last of the conversation.

"-make sure all windows are locked firmly."

"But we always do so."

"How else could the Magpie get in? We have someone posted at every door. There must be one window he finds, perhaps the cook opened it to let in fresh air and forgot about it afterwards, it has to be things like that."

"There are other ways to open windows."

"Have _you_ ever seen evidence of a break in?"

"I have never been robbed!"

"Wait until you have, then return and tell me what you think!" Kagome placed a hand her father's arm in order to break into the argument. He turned to her and offered a smile.

"Daughter, why are you not in your room?" Kagome laughed lightly.

"Is it so late as to send an old maid to bed?"

"When a young girl of nineteen refers to herself as an old maid then what shall her shrivelled father be known as?" Her father smiled at her and she replied with a toss of her head.

"Why, he should be referred to as her shrivelled father, as you so aptly said." Her father touched her head and grinned.

"What am I, to be cursed with such a quick-witted daughter?"

"A slow-witted man to consider himself cursed."

"Then shall I be blessed?"

"A better way to put it, for quick-witted daughters are often quick-tempered." Kagome turned and smiled at her father's friends. "Do you suffer or do you not my Lords?" There was quiet laughter.

"Our daughters have not the tongue you possess young lady," replied one. "We have never been faced with the difficulty of wit."

"Then you have not faced the difficulty of life!" returned her father. "How lucky you are, to be safe from your own flesh and blood!" He returned his gaze to his daughter. "Life is a cycle and old maids live as young babies do. Go to sleep daughter, I will see you in the morning."

Kagome left the room, satisfied with her words and walked up the stairs. Hopefully, the argument was now forgotten and she could sleep in peace. But as she placed her hand on the door handle she heard a strange noise. And it was coming from inside!

Kagome was silent for a moment, wondering whether it would be safer to move or to stay still. Unknown bravado gripped her and with a deep breath she opened her door.

Inside her room stood a young woman. She turned and revealed her face, eyes widening slightly. Her lips parted as she swore quietly.

"You're not supposed to be here." Her voice was annoyed and that, in turn, frustrated Kagome.

"I am not allowed in a room of my own house?" She gave a short bark of laughter. "What is the world coming to? Thieves who steal bits of tin and strange women telling me what to do!"

"This is your bedroom?"

"No, it's the cook's." The woman nodded in understanding and looked around once more.

"Why are you in the cook's bedroom?"

"Because it's my bedroom!"

"You're the cook?"

"No!" The woman nodded smugly.

"Didn't think so, bet you could hardly boil water…" Kagome faltered slightly.

"I don't need boiling water." The woman ignored her and asked another question.

"So if you're not the cook who are you?" She looked Kagome up and down. "A well-dressed maid?" There was a strange expression on her face. Kagome was being teased.

"No, I am a well-dressed footman," she replied and instantly regretted it.

"Never knew footmen wore dresses…"

"It's all the rage these days."

"I see, I moved away a while ago- should have kept up with the times."

"You should've. They change quickly."

"Once a year I heard."

"Quite." There was a silence as the two women looked at one another. The stranger spoke once more.

"I shall inform my husband he needs to change his ways."

"You're married?"

"No."

Kagome frowned, puzzled, as the other woman laughed and changed the subject.

"I think I shall safely assume that you are the Lady Kagome."

"You shall safely assume incorrectly."

"Then I accept I made a mistake. What is your name?"

"Emiline."

"An English name."

"For an English woman."

"An English woman with a Japanese appearance."

Kagome made no reply and the woman turned towards the window.

"I am Sango, a Japanese woman with a Japanese appearance." She glanced at Kagome from the corner of her eye. "Unmarried and happy that way." She stepped onto the window seat and Kagome realized that she wore breeches rather than a dress. She turned with a final smile. "I hope we meet again… _Emiline_." And then… she was gone.

**A/N: Soooo, what did you think? It's getting more interesting eh? Anyway please please please review! Until next time...**

**-DarkAsTheNightSky**


	4. The Thief Makes for a Companion

**Chapter 3: The Thief's Friend Makes an Interesting Companion**

**A/N: My god, this Friday took its time coming! It was my first week back at school and let me tell you, they don't let you back in gently... Anyway, I have on request to make. If you like my story please DO comment on it. It motivates me to write more. If I look at my review list and see that no one has reviewed a chapter I was very proud of...well... it makes me sad. Well, on with the tale.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

There had been no thievery that night, as was predicted by the sky. No one else had seen the woman in Kagome's room. Sango. Kagome did not wish to ask others of her, for fear they would find Kagome suspicious, but listening to the other's conversations she could hear no mention of the woman. And that for some reason, made her feel relieved.

She felt quite special, to have been the only one to meet this woman. Almost like she had been entrusted with a great secret. Kagome was fond of secrets, or rather; she was fond of keeping them. She was not the person to blurt out tales with each breath. She was the person who smiled at others, delighting in their ignorance of something she knew so much about. And that was what was happening now.

"I must admit I am most relieved the Magpie did not return." Kagome's companion, Eri, was talking. "It is alright once a month but I would have been quite afraid if he came very night. Yes, it is better he did not come last night."

_You cannot know that._ Kagome nodded her head, ignoring her thoughts.

"Very true," replied Ayuma, the only one of the four who had a child. "I would be most terrified that he would hurt my daughter."

_I don't think he did come actually. _Kagome frowned suddenly. She had not seen the Magpie. Only Sango. The Magpie had never even entered the conversation. She had never been given proof that Sango had anything to do with him. Kagome leaned back, slightly disgruntled. What was the point of having a thief if she wasn't a member of a mysterious crew? Without a special gang she was just a…thief. A poor woman who was forced by poverty to steal.

"Kagome? Kagome!"

Kagome was snapped from her thoughts by Yuka, the final one of the group.

"What is it?"

"Does the Magpie not frighten you at all?" Kagome laughed at that.

"He steals things that shine in the manner of a young child. Why should I be afraid of that?"

"But he is the one who took your mother away! Are you not worried that he will come for you?"

"Why would he come for me when I am nothing like my mother? Neither my eyes, my nose, nor my mouth match hers. Our manners of speech have no similarities and our personalities perfect opposites!"

"But it is not any of that that tempted the Magpie," replied Eri, leaning to stroke a strand of Kagome's hair. "It was the dark and mysterious shine in your mother's hair." The three leaned back and giggled with the excitement of young girls.

"Indeed," agreed Yuka. "It was the way it was still able to shine in the lack of a moonlight.

"I still fail to find reason to worry," replied Kagome, twisting her hair around her own fingers. "I find my hair to be a shade duller than my mother's. It would hardly attract a magpie."

"_A _magpie?!" cried Eri. "We are not merely talking about a thieving bird my dear Kagome, we are talking about a thief that before we only considered a legend! It is _the_ Magpie!"

"Why magpie?" Kagome wondered aloud. "There must be some bird in Japan as thieving as such. Magpies are mainly western birds are they not?"

"True." Ayuma was the most well-read of the four and, if in a good mood, was often used as as the library's substitute. "We don't get magpies in Japan."

"But we must get at least some." Kagome said leaning forwards, remembering her feather and suddenly displaying interest in the topic they spoke of. Ayuma shook her head.

"We have the azure-winged magpie, but when mentioning the thief we all think of the western one."

"What colour are the azure-winged's feathers?" Kagome's questions were delivered sharply, her eyes never leaving those of Ayuma's.

"The head of the bird is black and its throat white. The under-belly and back are pale grey and its wings and tail feathers are blue."

"None of the feathers will be black on each end and white in the centre?" Ayuma tilted her head to one side.

"That is the European magpie. Like I said before, we don't get them in this country."

"Has anyone brought a European magpie here from Europe?"

"Kagome, is anything wrong? Why are you-"

"Just answer my question."

"No, I have never heard of a European magpie being brought to Japan." Ayuma sighed and stood up. "If you will excuse me I must take my leave. I promised my daughter that I would walk with her today." She moved towards the door and left Eri and Yuka staring at Kagome.

"Is there a reason for your sudden interest in magpies?" asked Yuka, poorly concealing a knowing smile. The smile irritated Kagome for some reason and she felt no need to share her feather with the two.

"Did you not know I had an interest in ornithology?" she asked, her face carefully blank.

"I had not heard of it," replied Eri, her expression matching that of Yuka's. "When was this interest first piqued?" Kagome ignored the question and stood up.

"I think that I shall go for a walk. I do so love to listen to the birds sing. It is a most peaceful thing to do when _alone_." She emphasized greatly on the last word and left the room quite quickly.

A while after she entered the forest, Kagome began to hear footsteps. They followed her at a similar speed and stopped when she did. But rather than turn around Kagome decided to ignore them, and made her way further into the forest. Once she reached an area she deemed far enough away to be private she began to speak.

"You make rather a lot of noise, for someone trailing another."

"So you did know I was here." Sango walked around Kagome and turned to face her. "I was getting disappointed in your observational skills Emiline." Kagome winced as she remembered her false name.

"It's Kagome. And I have excellent observational skills!"

"That you choose to ignore." Sango made no sign she had heard the correction apart from a smug smile. She knew who Kagome was.

"Some of us are born with so many skills we must only expand on a select few."

"Shall I guess one of the skills to be that you sing well?"

"Like an angel."

"Will you sing now?"

Kagome looked up at the tree tops. "Not in the mood."

"Are you ever?"

Kagome whirled around and glared at the laughing woman. "I am envied for my sweet voice!"

"By who, the crows?"

Kagome decided to ignore that reply and ask a question.

"Do you work for the Magpie?" There was no reply. "Or are you just a thief?"

"I do not work for anyone." Sango's voice was annoyed.

"Do you work _with_ the Magpie?"

"That's better."

"So you do."

"I never said that."

"Then you are a mere thief."

"I never said that either."

Kagome gave an irritated sigh. "As much as I love talking in circles, I would love even more to find its end."

"Circles don't have an end." Sango frowned. "I believe you are contradicting yourself."

Kagome threw up her hands in frustration. "Is it impossible for you to answer a simple question or must you extend everything you say?"

"Is it impossible for you to remain calm when you ask a simple question or must you explode over everything I say?" Kagome's eyes narrowed and Sango gave in. "Yes, I am part of those who steal with the Magpie."

"What's his name?" Kagome's question was rushed, all former spite forgotten.

"He doesn't like us to say," Sango said firmly.

"Is he the one who took my mother?"

"…no." There was a hesitation before Sango answered and Kagome could see her wondering if it was safe to continue. She did so. "It is his son. The original Magpie died some years ago."

Kagome nodded. That explained the sudden changes in the Magpie's style. "How did he die?" Sango shrugged.

"Nobody knows. Only one member of the original group remains, and she has been sworn to secrecy."

"So no one else ever knew the original Magpie?"

"Except for her and the new Magpie I'm about as original as it gets. I was the third one to join." Kagome laughed suddenly and Sango gave her a questioning look.

"It is strange," Kagome said. "I had always imagined the Magpie's group to be there. I had never considered it would take time to build up." Sango snorted scornfully.

"We're not mythical creatures Kagome, we cannot suddenly appear."

"So what were you, before you joined the Magpie?" Sango was quiet for a moment.

"I was a lady like you; it was at a time when another thief was plaguing my village, a thief more dangerous than the Magpie. My father was amongst those who went out to catch him."

"Did he?"

"Not one member of the group came back." Sango's voice became very quiet. "My brother and I vowed that we would look for this thief, that we wouldn't give up until we found him…"

"And then…?" Kagome prompted as Sango trailed into silence.

"And then for some reason my brother joined him. He said that it would be safer to be on this thief's side. That by fighting him we were only waiting for death. I decided that after that all thieves deserved to die. I lived my life going from village to village, helping to catch those who stole."

"If you hate thieves so much why did you join the Magpie?"

"Because he is after the same thief." Sango's voice gained strength. "The Magpie, the two who joined before me, and I all hate him in the same way."

"Why do the other three hate him?"

"There is Shippo, who is younger than all of us and lost both his parents like I did. Miroku has always been an orphan but the thief injured his hand when he was young."

"Injured badly?"

"It injured the nerves in his hand and causes involuntary spasms and movements." Sango's tone soured. "Or so he says." Kagome decided to let that statement pass without further questioning. There seemed to be a long story there.

"And what about the Magpie?"

"Again, nobody knows. He hasn't spoken of it and only mentions the thief occasionally."

"What is the thief's name?"

"I _said,_ he doesn't like us to-"

"The _other _thief, the one you hate."

"Oh, him."

Kagome sighed impatiently. "Yes, him."

"Naraku." Sango spat out the name with venom Kagome had not heard before. She considered asking more but somehow, it didn't feel safe.

A few minutes of wary silence passed and Kagome watched Sango as she began to calm down.

"Well anyway, until we meet again I suppose." Kagome turned to leave but stopped when Sango spoke once more.

"You do not act like a lady." Her voice was serious. Kagome looked back, insulted.

"There is no other way for me to act!"

"No," Sango was still serious. "I had expected you to turn up your nose at my story. I had expected you to think it ridiculous and call me mad. But you believed me. You did not even question a single aspect of my tale."

"Should I have done?"

"No, but most ladies of your standing would not listen to such a tasteless story." Kagome shrugged.

"It is not my place to scorn a story."

"What is your relationship to the Magpie?"

"The original one took my mother."

"I know that. But what about you? Why are you so interested in him?"

"The new one. The son. I hate him."

"Why?"

"Because my mother loves him."

"She barely knows him."

"Then she loves his existence, she worships him."

"More than you?"

"She loves his memory more than she will ever love my reality."

Sango nodded at that. "A good reason to hate someone."

Kagome frowned. "Shouldn't you be defending him right now? He's the leader of your group…"

Sango laughed. "He's even easier to hate in person."

"Do you hate him?" She shook her head.

"No, everyone does at first but you get used to him eventually. Sometimes though, everyone needs a break."

"What's wrong with him?"

"He's just an abrupt person with a hot temper. But once you get past that he's not bad." Another silence passed and Kagome noticed the comfort of it. With the other people she talked with every silence was spent with each person desperately thinking of something to say. With Sango, there was no need to. They were at home with the quiet.

"I suppose I should be glad I'll never meet him," Kagome began and Sango interrupted with a laugh.

"Oh yes you will! We're going right now!" Kagome looked up with a start as Sango began walking off.

"Now? Why?"

"Because," Sango called over one shoulder. "I've just told you our whole life story. We have to check and see if you he trusts you enough to let you go!"

"And you didn't think to warn me of this before you blurted out the said life story?" panted Kagome as she caught up.

"You never asked to be warned." Kagome gave Sango another unnoticed glare and the two carried on their way.

"You do realise that I can stop following you at any time don't you?"

"You do realise that I have spent years living a wilder life than you and can knock you out at any time don't you?"

Kagome scowled. "And to think I was beginning to consider us friends." Sango laughed loudly.

"Your friends don't threaten to beat you?"

"They most certainly do not!" Sango turned around with a grin.

"You've obviously never had a real friend." She turned back and the two began to climb a fairly steep hill. Kagome was not overly sure why she had not stopped following Sango earlier. She highly doubted she would stop now though. Sango didn't look weak.

"So if I'm considered trust-worthy," she began again when they reached the top. "I can walk off without a care?"

"In theory, yes."

"In theory?"

"Well there's a fairly large IF in that sentence Kagome."

"Is the Magpie not very trusting?"

"Ha!" Sango grinned widely at her companion. "He wouldn't trust a flea to bite a dog!"

**A/N: The Magpie is going to show up! Next chapter! Review and you'll get to read it!**

**Next Chapter: Magpies Don't Nest for Comfort**

**-DarkAsTheNightSky**


	5. Magpie's Don't Nest for Comfort

**Chapter 4: Magpies Don't Nest for Comfort**

**A/N: And Friday has arrived once more! My God school is killing me! It is tortuous! Anyway, enough of my complaining...are you ready to meet the Magpie?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

"What happened?" asked Kagome, staring around her in dismay. This was not the beautiful village her mother had told her about. This little circle of huts was drab looking, grey in the forest's shadows. Kagome could not see any people about. In fact, the area looked deserted. She would not have thought it a home if not with Sango.

"What do you mean?" Sango looked back at Kagome. "Is something wrong?"

"It's not the right village!" Kagome exclaimed, still looking around. "It can't be…my mother….she told me how lovely it was…how cheerful…." Her voice grew softer as she continued to speak. "She had told me it was more like home than home was." Sango shook her head at that.

"It's been like this for as long as I've been here. And if you ask Miroku and Shippou they'd tell you the same. We're not members of the Magpie's group for fun Kagome, we're in it to fight." But Kagome remained standing still, staring at the clearing. She finally snapped her eyes away and glared at Sango.

"It's not the right village!" she shouted desperately. "You mean to tell me that my mother vanished from my house, vanished from _me _to come to this?"

"You have to stay quiet!" Sango tried to hush the other girl frantically but it was too late. Doors of the huts were opening, and the once empty village slowly began to fill. The occupants of the huts were as grey and expressionless as their home. They all stood still and stared at Kagome. And she stared back at them. How was it possible? How could any amount of people manage to look so sad at once?

Kagome looked back at Sango and gasped wordlessly. Sango, she fit in here. Kagome had not thought it to be possible. When it had been the two of them, Sango had been so alive; she had been so bright and colourful. But here, here she looked as drab as everyone else. The fun of her had left. It was still sitting at the edge of the trees, waiting for her to leave once more.

"I have to go." Kagome looked to the ground and back at Sango. "I don't- I don't care about your Magpie, you can keep your precious Magpie!" She began to walk backwards. "This place isn't real! You expect me to believe that this is the place that changed my mother!?" She stopped and turned around, still talking. "My mother used to love me! It isn't here that stopped that-not here." She started to run, but a hand took hold of her arm and stopped her.

Kagome turned and looked up into the eyes of a man. His pale skin and black hair fit in with the grey of his surroundings but his eyes stood out. They were a bright purple tone and crinkled around the edges when he smiled. He was smiling now.

"I am afraid we cannot allow you to leave my Lady." His voice was smooth and far too rich for that of an outlaw. "It is dangerous, and we cannot allow such a beautiful woman to take her chances with strange men can we?" Sango walked up behind the two and extracted Kagome's arm from the man's grip.

"Leave her Miroku," she snapped, irritated. She turned back to Kagome with a pleading smile. "Let's just go and see the Magpie Kagome, we just want him to trust you."

"Fine." Kagome noticed all the stares she was receiving and had the decency to feel slightly embarrassed. It had not been a lady-like outburst.

She followed both Miroku and Sango, who were squabbling peacefully, and looked around. As she looked closer she could see small proof of life. A small bouquet of flowers hanging beside someone's door. Handmade curtains shading a hut's window. These little things comforted Kagome. Perhaps there was more to this village than she had thought.

During their walk a small boy caught Kagome's eye, or rather, his hair did. It was a bright, almost unnaturally bright orange and so long it was kept tied back. He moved closer, walking with a peculiar, springy step. As he came closer Kagome was able to see his feet, and what caused his strange gait. His feet were tiny, practically stubs, and his legs bent backwards slightly at the ankles. He had to walk quickly, or else he would most certainly lose his balance. Sango followed Kagome's gaze and smiled gently.

"That's Shippou. From what I've heard the Magpie found him with both feet trapped under a roof timber and near death. His parents were already gone and his home destroyed. The Magpie took him in and ordered the woman, Kaede, to heal him. He's adapted well. I would've sworn he'd never walk again."

"Yes," Miroku agreed, his face serious. "The Magpie may first seem abrupt and rude. But his heart is kind. He won't let another person die." Kagome found herself laughing at that.

"You cannot help it if someone dies!" Miroku looked at her solemnly.

"I had thought the same, but in all my years here, I have never once seen someone die under his watch. He is a most remarkable person."

Kagome laughed again, her previous fit forgotten. She found herself quite thrilled by this turn of events. In fact, she was even looking forward to the Magpie. There was something about this desolate group of houses. At first glance they had been depressing, but now she was used to them, there was a wonderful air of mystery. Quite delicious in fact.

Before Kagome had realized it, the three had reached a hut slightly larger than the others. The door was strangely narrow, one would have to turn sideways in order to squeeze in.

"This is as fair as I can go I am afraid," sighed Miroku, his face dramatically sorrowful.

"But why?" Kagome looked up at him, afraid that if he left, Sango would also.

"He can't fit in the door," answered the girl in question, snickering slightly. "One cake too many, eh Miroku?" The man drew himself up to his full height and looked down on the two women.

"Au contraire my dear Sango, what you see here is pure muscle. It is my impressive build that forces me to leave you two.

"Then how can the Magpie fit in?" Sango asked with a smirk.

"Because," Miroku explained with a heavy sigh. "We all know that Inu- the Magpie is secretly a woman." He winked jokingly towards Kagome and took his leave. Kagome then turned to Sango.

"The Magpie's a-"

"No." Sango interrupted before she could finish her sentence.

"But Miroku-"

"Is an idiot," she cut in once more.

"Can I finish at least one of my sentences?" asked Kagome irritably.

"Of course you can," began Sango with a kind and generous smile.

"Thank-"

"Providing they don't mention Miroku or question the Magpie's gender."

Kagome scowled darkly. "Lovely weather we've been having…"

Sango looked up at the dark covering of trees. "Can you even see the sky?" Kagome ignored her and she shrugged. "Let's go in." She lifted her hand and fit her fingers in a slot down the side of the hut. With a quiet grunt she pulled, and the thin door slid back into the wall.

Kagome leaned forward, eager to see the Magpie's quarters, but the inside of the hut was too dark to see. Sango waited for a few seconds before putting her hand inside the hut and turning the flame of an invisible oil lamp.

The flame offered more light and Kagome was able to glimpse a messy clutter of items, most of them appearing to be broken.

"Is it impossible for you to knock?" Kagome jumped as a voice came from an especially big heap of rubbish. This voice was different from what she had expected it to be. From her mother's description she had expected a round, fruity voice. A rich voice of one who lives life and enjoys living it. But no. This voice was rough and cracked. It made Kagome's throat scratch just listening to it. The heap shifted with a groan and Kagome realised that it must have been asleep.

"Is it impossible for you to clean?" asked Sango, covering her nose delicately. "I have met pigs who are more house-proud."

"Keh," the heap growled once more and hand protruded from a stack of paper. It turned, almost as if it was looking around, and one finger pointed towards Kagome. "It is very improper for a girl to walk in on man, Sango, but to bring another woman!" There were a few disapproving tuts and the hand was withdrawn once more.

"I brought you a new pet," Sango absent-mindedly began stacking things into neat piles as Kagome bristled indignantly.

"A pet," the heap mused and Kagome disliked the interest in his voice.

"Most certainly not!" she snapped. "Me?! A pet?!" She turned and glared at Sango who shrugged.

"Wouldn't want a pet with that kind of voice." The voice was becoming smoother as its owner began to fully wake up.

"You'd kill a pet in a day." Sango continued to tidy.

"I would if it spoke like that."

"Why am I a pet?!" Kagome began to get very irritated, especially as she was ignored once more.

"My dad once gave me a dog," the heap gave a sigh of nostalgia.

"Must have made a hard life." Sango said as she gingerly lifted an unidentifiable object from its home in the corner.

"No," the heap continued. "My dad loved that dog. We used to play-"

"I meant the _dog_," Sango groaned and shook her head. "The blinking _dog's_ life to have an owner such as- what is this?" There was the sound of shuffling paper and Kagome caught a glimpse of the heap's eye.

"Not sure, something useful."

"It's disintegrating," Sango eyed it distastefully.

"Disintegrating usefully."

"I think it was either… a book or" Sango held her breath and leaned in for a closer look. "a very poor carving of a flat fish…that's falling to pieces…maybe."

"Probably a flat fish, don't like reading."

"It's terrible."

"Decoration."

"I found it underneath a pile of firewood."

"I was saving it for a party." The heap gave a sudden jerk. "Why are you going through my things?"

"Not going through Inuyasha, _tidying_."

"Not much of a-"

"Inuyasha!" the conversation stopped as Sango and the heap turned to look at Kagome who stood before them triumphantly.

"Inuyasha," she repeated, pointing at the heap. "So the Magpie does have a name." She sat back down; pleased with her discovery, before realising she was being watched. "Oh don't mind me!" She waved a gentle hand. "Carry on, I'm not even here."

"_Why_ is she here?" the heap's voice had returned to its growling tone.

"Oh her, I told her everything," Sango said taking a handkerchief from her pocket and whipping it around the room carelessly.

"Told her _everything_?!" the heap made a motion as if to stand up. Sango stiffened suddenly and turned back to face it.

"But I did _not_ tell her your name!"

"Yes you did," interjected Kagome comfortably.

"I didn't _tell_ her _face to face," _clarified Sango, ignoring the other.

"It still came from your mouth," the heap grumbled. "Still your fault."

"Placing blame now are we?" Sango, having run out of places to clean, started on the heap itself. "Don't be too mature Inuyasha, we won't recognise you."

"You said my name agai- what are you doing?!"

"She already heard it and I _told_ you, I'm _cleaning_!"

"Not me you're not!" the heap began to edge quickly away from Sango, somehow managing to remain buried. Sango ignored it and with a sweep of her makeshift duster, sent parts of the heap flying.

Kagome leaned forwards in interest. So this is what he looks like, she thought, the Magpie. She felt herself breathing more quickly, this was her mother's favourite, this was the boy who changed everything.

What a disappointment. She had expected a magnificent figure, trim waist, broad shoulders, and a face that sent people running in terror. The typical bad person her friends seemed to love.

Not this thin little boy, looking not much older than herself. To put it nicely he was delicately boned, to put it realistically he was scrawny. His face was handsome with eyes a similar shade to Miroku's, but marred slightly by his sour expression. It crinkled his forehead and aged him more than it should. And his hair! It was longer than Kagome's, flowing loosely down his back in the blackest of black tones. His hair Kagome could recognise from her mother's story.

"Why did you do that?!" he snapped.

"It was a mess!" Sango replied

"I was keeping warm!"

"With old paper?" Sango snorted unsympathetically. "Use your lamp."

"Oil's expensive."

"Tight wad." Inuyasha was about to reply to that when he felt a pair of eyes burning into his cheek.

"What?" he asked, touching his face self-consciously and Kagome realised that she had been staring.

"I can see what Miroku means," she mused slowly.

"What?" his scowl deepened as Kagome ignored him once more.

"What do you see?" Sango asked, looking up from picking through the remains of the heap.

"Sango," Kagome began, still looking at Inuyasha. "Are you sure he's not a woman?" Sango began to laugh, ignoring the Magpie's indignant splutters. She left the mess to stay on the floor and went to stand beside Kagome.

"I can assure you he is." She turned to the man in question. "Prove it." He choked at that.

"What are you hinting at?!"

"Nothing of the kind." Sango coughed as she realized the double meaning in her words. "I meant take your shirt off!" He snorted and did as he was told. Kagome looked forward and carefully kept her face expressionless.

"Ribs like a xylophone," she sneered, much to the anger of the thief.

"Those would be my muscles you see!"

"First muscles I've seen that go horizontal."

"Seen many muscles have you?" Kagome blushed and averted her gaze.

"I have books." This time it was Inuyasha's turn to sneer.

"You've been looking through books then?"

"No!" Kagome leapt up, insulted at such a thought. "I was taught anatomy in my lessons! School! Lessons!"

"Calm down," Inuyasha muttered, slightly worried by her sudden temper change. "I was joking."

"Most tasteless joke I've ever heard," Kagome sniffed, returning to her seat. Inuyasha decided it might be wise to avoid her for now and looked around his newly cleaned home.

"You've ruined it." Sango bristled at the comment.

"_Cleaned _it Inuyasha. _Cleaned _ it. Just because you have the manners of a pig doesn't mean you have to live like one!"

"Alright, alright!" Inuyasha retreated back to his now-empty stack of rubbish. He picked up the unidentified carved object Sango had previously found and began to examine it.

"My fish!" he muttered happily and then walked out of his hut leaving Kagome and Sango alone.

"Is he sane?" Kagome asked quietly, more to herself than anything.

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Unfortunately?"

"If he was insane he'd have an excuse."

"Aha." A more important thought struck Kagome and she turned to Sango.

"Can I leave now?"

"Oh, bother, we still need to ask him." Kagome sighed.

"A whole hour spent talking about cleaning and not once was my freedom thought to have been mentioned…"

"How did you know that it's been an hour?"

"Felt like one." Sango pulled a watch from her magic pockets and looked at it.

"Fifteen minutes." She gave Kagome a smile. "You were close."

"Can we just get permission to leave?"

"Of course."

The two women left and came upon Miroku and Inuyasha in a deep conversation.

"-and if you look here," Inuyasha was saying. "You can see the grooves that were put in for fins…"

"Yes, it's a lovely fish, I especially like the- ladies!" he looked up at Kagome and Sango, his face flooding with relief. "What a pity you've arrived. We were just having a scintillating conversation on flat fish carvings…"

"It's alright," Inuyasha cut in earnestly. "We can still talk with them here."

"No." Miroku raised one hand. "I will not be rude in the presence of ladies." He looked pleadingly up at them. "I am sure that neither of you are interested in fish are you?"

"I would love to say that I am just for Miroku's expression," Sango whispered before giving a sigh. "But I'm terrified of being trapped in the conversation." Kagome turned her head to one side in order to stifle her laughter. Miroku leapt upon her motion as a way out.

"You cannot deny that Lady Kagome just now shook her head can you Inuyasha?" He looked triumphantly back at the thief who snorted in reply.

"Some people just haven't any taste."

Kagome glared at Miroku. She was never getting home if Inuyasha began to dislike her even more. He shrugged at her gaze and went off to smile at Sango, leaning forward as she kept moving back.

"Can I leave?"

"What?" Inuyasha looked up from his fish.

"Can I go home now?"

"Of course." He returned to his model. Kagome smiled and turned to tell Sango that she was permitted to go.

"But Sango can't take you." She turned back as he spoke once more.

"Pardon?"

"I need her to paint a picture of my fish." He smiled at the wood happily.

"Can she even paint?!" Kagome was beginning to become annoyed.

"Practice makes perfect." Inuyasha stood and made his way back to his hut.

"But I don't know the way back home!" The Magpie continued to walk, stopping only to look over one shoulder.

"Guess you're staying hear then." He gave her a final smirk, a last view of the long-lost fish, and an even longer view of his back as he left her on top of her hill.

**A/N: Sooooooo, what do you think? Please review and give me your opinion!**

**Next chapter: They Nest Up High for A Reason. See you next Friday!**

**-DarkAsTheNightSky**


	6. They Nest Up High for a Reason

**Chapter 5: They Nest Up High for a Reason**

**A/N: It feels like it's been a year since last Friday... but here I am again! Please enjoy this chapter! And if you do don't hesitate to review! I do want your opinion and ideas on what should happen in the plot! So if you have a suggestion... I want to hear it! Anyway...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

"The impudence of some people!" Kagome huffed as she made her way past yet another tree. "It did not take long for me to arrive here. Sango could have been back to paint his precious fish in perhaps an hour!" She recalled her poor skill of time estimation. "Maybe even fifteen minutes!"

The sudden crack of a breaking twig sounded in the distance and caused Kagome to jump. Unwelcome images of wolves brought back from the hunt began to fill her head.

"But it's alright," she said quietly in an attempt to comfort herself. "The trees here are old, branches crack and fall off all the time."

"And you never know," she added. "It could very well be my father out to look for me, which if it was the case I should move towards the noise." But Kagome made no indication of movement for she knew how foolish it was. No person would dare travel this far into the woodland. It was deep and dark here. A search party, no matter how large it was, could get lost in an instant.

The forest, which Kagome knew was so large, began to suddenly feel compressed. The trees shuffled closer together until she was locked in a cage of wood. Living wood which could be so much more terrifying. For the things that are alive are less predictable. If Kagome saw a table she knew it could only be a table, it would never attempt to become a chair. But a tree, you could never know where a tree might grow. Its branches might continue up towards the sky, trying to reach the sun. Or they might turn, strangle and smother everything in sight. Life, in its rawest form, could be dangerous.

Kagome could feel the tears in her throat before they came to her eyes. It was them again. She tried to laugh once more, to banish the feeling but it remained stuck, clawing its way up her tongue. Everyone cries, even the bravest, but Kagome's tears were different. They controlled her. Once she began she could not stop and the sobs would begin to consume her. They would fog her mind and blacken her heart until she could bear it no longer.

The first time Kagome cried she was four years of age. Her nanny panicked, unsure of what to do and ran from the room for help. In the space of time it had taken to find a physician Kagome had fallen to the ground and had begun to shout in fear. Her parents, doctor and nanny had stared at the young girl, who rolled across the floor, beating her head with her fists.

Her mother had been the first to react and had run across the room to grab her daughter's wrists. She held them above Kagome's head so she could no longer struggle and hugged her daughter with desperation. Eventually, the child was calm enough for the physician to talk to her.

He diagnosed her with self affectiophobia, which was a fear of extreme sadness displayed by herself. Crying was the most extreme way to experience sadness and therefore tears were dangerous. The doctor deemed slight sadness in moderation to be harmless, for it could be stopped if she felt fear but tears…

When humans become truly frightened they cry. Kagome's fear of tears could only lead her to cry more, causing more terror. It was a dangerous circle, and the physician warned her parents that it could cause the girl to attempt her own life if not stopped beforehand. But no one could understand this as well as Kagome. For no one else could feel the fear that so plagued her. No one else could experience the desperation she felt to end it, even if it meant killing herself.

Her mother had been the only person able to stop the tears in record time, and as she became more withdrawn Kagome was forced to rely on herself. She limited herself to very little laughter, an occasional chuckle perhaps, a small smile in an attempt to keep her emotions under reign. In fact, the time she had spent in the Magpie's village and with Sango was the most she had laughed for years.

But she could never cry, which was why she laughed, battling one extreme emotion with another for laughter was preferable. It never worked though. Tears always won in the end.

Kagome leaned against a tree and slid to the ground, squeezing her eyes tightly shut. Her heart froze and she could feel it struggling to beat, fluttering against her chest. Her hands flew out, gripping at leaves and dropping them. She was frightened. So terribly, horribly frightened. And with her fear came more and more tears and she gripped her head as pain wracked through it. It was getting unbearable and when Kagome opened her eyes the trees shifted in and out of focus around her. She needed to stop this. She wanted it to stop.

"How could she be so childish?" Inuyasha grumbled to himself as he made his way through the wood. "Nobody knows this forest well!" He threw back his head and shouted to the treetops. "SHE COULD BE DEAD BY NOW!" He carried on his way still complaining in small snippets.

"Why do I have to? Sango's the one who got worried. Her fault for bringing the girl. The girl's fault for going off. Why me? First she ruins my home, and then she sends me off to chase after a girl WHOSE PROBABLY DEAD ANYWAY!" After that Inuyasha calmed down and was able to think more logically. First, it was impossible for her to be dead (unfortunately) unless she had been taken by the wolves (hopefully). The girl, Kagome, had only been gone about an hour. Unless she was a forest expert and had found her way out, she was probably still close to his clearing. If she had any sense she would have figured she was lost and she would have sat down and waited to be found.

"They never do have any sense though," he muttered grumpily. "They think they can do it, no problem just some trees and wolves- technically they're untrained dogs." He carried on talking, mainly to fill time. If anyone knew even a fraction of the woods it was the Magpie, which was why Sango had sent him out. It was his terrain, his kingdom. Inuyasha was the person most likely to find Kagome as soon as possible.

He was about to turn back and face the wrath of Sango when he heard a strange noise. It sounded like a strangled cry, someone trying desperately to be quiet. He turned towards the direction the sound came from and slowly made his way forward.

There, leaning against a tree sat Kagome. But she did not look well. Her face was pale and her forehead damp with sweat. Her eyes were open but dull and Inuyasha knew she could not see him. What was strange was that her face was still but she was trembling, and as she shook more and more tears were torn from her eyes where they rolled to drip down her chin.

"What do you think-" Inuyasha began but stopped when Kagome began to move. Her face remained blank and her torso and legs limp. But her arms and hands…they jerked suddenly scraping the ground to a silent rhythm. One lifted into the air and lowered onto her chest, acting as if it wished to tear her heart out.

Inuyasha could not move and instead watched as her skin turned red under the treatment, and a drop of blood welled from a deep claw. It hovered and then fell, like its own scarlet tear, staining the bodice of her gown. But still Kagome did not stop. She did not appear to feel the pain, but rather wished it to be worse. Her actions grew more desperate and the hand beating the ground bled as it hit rocks and stones. Inuyasha threw himself forward and grabbed hold of her wrists, causing her rhythm to cease. She turned her head and looked in his direction, but her eyes still unfocused. He could feel the blood running from her injured palm down his wrist and for once felt quite afraid. Danger could not worry the Magpie because he was a thief, it was his life style. But something like this, something happening in another's head so that he was not able to see it, was worrying. For the first time in his life, the Magpie felt helpless.

Kagome felt lost. She was caught in a black wind that was carrying her to somewhere she did not wish to go. The fear that she had kept so well contained inside her heart had become to come loose. It was curling through her veins, burning them with a sudden ice. She was terrified. In her own home she could have taken something that was of comfort to her. She could have held it against her heart in an attempt to ease the pain. But in the woods there was nothing but the prickle of branches and icy blows of wind.

"Stop crying." An order cut through the fog of her fear and in her surprise the pain lessened a little. "Start…looking normal. Start…I don't know…do something!"

Kagome was unused to orders and obeyed without much thought. Any other time she had begun to cry people had begged her. They had spoken softly and stroked her arm in an attempt to be gentle. But the order broke through so suddenly that Kagome ceased crying, and then she didn't know what to do.

"Stop crying," repeated Inuyasha angrily. "I said stop crying!" He lifted a hand to try and beat her chest, wondering if that would help when her head suddenly snapped around and she looked at him. A wave of relief hit him. He had not liked the blankness that had been in her gaze. It had unnerved him.

"Were-," she began, her voice sounding cracked and sore. "Were- were you-"

Inuyasha straightened his back, a smug smile at the ready. He didn't particularly enjoy saving people but he did indeed love the praise and thanks at the end.

"Were you about to hit me?" Kagome eyes narrowed, focused on his still raised hand. He pulled it down behind his back and scowled at the girl.

"What was all that?" he asked rudely, waving his hand as if to encompass all that happened.

"What was all what?" Kagome asked primly, wincing slightly as she wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"All those…" He waved his hand once more, as if allowing it to speak for him.

"All those…?"

"Tears!" he suddenly burst out after a minute or two of silence. Kagome scoffed.

"Have you never seen a girl cry before?"

"Well not like that! I would have thought you were dead if you hadn't been breathing! You certainly looked it! And now-!" He glared at her suspiciously. "And now you're perfectly fine, you're acting as if nothing happened!" Kagome frowned at the ground she was sitting on.

"I prefer to forget these things as quickly as possible," she muttered. "I like to move on immediately." Inuyasha snorted.

"I had assumed that you were the type to beg for sympathy." Kagome snapped her head up to glare at him.

"I wish that people would stop assuming things about me!" Inuyasha stepped back, startled by her sudden outburst. "All the time," she continued. "They assume I am unhappy, they assume I want to get married, they assume that because of my standing I will be stuck up and always wanting attention, why don't they just write my character down and ask me to act from it!" She looked at the tree beside her angrily before continuing. "I have never, not once in my life, met a person who has not assumed something about me. And all their assumptions are wrong! Why do they not believe me when I tell them so? I have told people that I am happy, that I don't want to get married, that I can be modest and as for attention? Of course I want it! Everyone does! Everyone wants to be noticed! There is not a person in this world that does not want people to look at them and notice them and love them. It's human nature!" She sighed and her voice died down a little. "But it gets worse, because as people make assumptions they spread them. They made a completely different personality for me and told others about it." Her gaze returned to Inuyasha. "Do you want to know why I haven't many friends?" He made no reply and she took that as an affirmative. "Because everyone thinks I am someone I'm not. Everyone _assumes_ that I am a snobby young lady who considers herself far above the stature of everyone else. And because that is what they want to see that is what I am in their eyes. One comment from me causes so many people to glance at each other knowingly. Then the assumptions spread to me and I find myself believing them. I find myself acting the way they want me to and it makes me feel ill. It makes me feel like a traitor to myself. But I can't help it. It is the way I feel I was made." Kagome finished her speech and looked at Inuyasha who was staring at her warily.

"You," he began and she waited for him to continue. "You have a very quick temper." He straightened his back and interrupted as she opened her mouth once more. "And you can't say that its an assumption because it's not. It's a fact. I have known you for less than a day and you've been trying to bite my head off for most of that time. It is not an attractive trait in a woman and I-" He stopped suddenly when he noticed Kagome smiling at him. "What?"

"You didn't assume." She laughed out loud. "You told me a character trait that you had seen in me not one you wanted to see."

"Keh." Inuyasha turned and began walking away. He called back without looking around. "Sango'll murder me if I come back without you so I advise you to hurry up!" Kagome stood and ran to catch up with him.

"Maybe I should shout at you more often," she mused to herself.

"No!" Inuyasha turned suddenly. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!"

"Kagome!" Sango had been waiting at the edge of the clearing and ran forward in relief when she saw the pair. "Why did you walk off by yourself?! You could have got lost!"

"I did," admitted Kagome, looking at the ground.

"It's a good thing you coped with it well," sneered Inuyasha before retreating to his hut. The two women watched him go.

"Are you alright?" Sango asked, breaking Kagome from her thoughts. "The woods are a lot more dangerous than you'd think."

"I realised that."

"A little late it seems."

"Not my fault you made this clearing too difficult to find," Kagome replied, embittered with Sango's last comment. The other woman laughed.

"Magpies nest up high for a reason Kagome. You're not supposed to be able to find us." Kagome considered it and agreed.

"I suppose so."

"You're not looking any closer to home are you?" Sango teased with a smile as Kagome frowned in frustration.

"Why did he take me back here?! He could just as easily shown me the way to my home!"

"Ah but that would be different," Sango replied. "You see, if he took you home not only would he have to walk to your house but then all the way back to the huts. It would mean more than double the walk."

"I thought magpies were active birds." Sango gave a bark of laughter.

"This one isn't." She looked at Kagome in sympathy. "It won't take long for us to walk there. If we walk quickly I'll be back in an hour."

"But won't he be annoyed?"

"He probably won't notice I'm gone. The trick with the Magpie is that he'll say anything and everything in order to irritate you, but he hardly ever means any of it." Kagome nodded.

"He's contrary then." This sentence caused Sango to laugh once more.

"Kagome, calling the Magpie contrary must be the world's biggest understatement! He gives contrary a new definition!" Kagome waited a moment, but joined in the laughter as well. For some reason she felt a little guilty laughing and talking about him like such. He didn't have to save her after all.

"Are you sure you're alright?" asked Sango, noting Kagome's reluctance to join the mirth. "You look a little pale actually." Kagome shook her head violently.

"Not at all! It's cold today so of course I would lose a little colour!" She realised the mistake in her words at the same time Sango did. In the cold her cheeks and the tip of her nose should gain colour rather than lose it.

But Sango did not push it any further and Kagome was grateful for it. If it were any other person they would have asked more and more questions until Kagome felt like running from the room. But Sango was good at things like that. She knew when to leave things alone.

"I'll just tell Miroku where we're going and we'll be off," Sango said, changing the subject.

"I thought we would just leave."

"It's better to let someone know you're gone. You need someone to expect you back." She noticed Kagome's look. "Well when I brought you here I didn't realise we'd be gone so long!" Kagome shook her head and the two set off, just as Inuyasha came out of his hut.

"Sango, about that painting, I think you could really do i- Sango? Sango!"

**A/N: Soooooooooo, thoughts? Ideas? Opinions? Questions? Let me know! **

**Next Chapter: Anger Does not Make for a Welcoming Home**


	7. Anger Does Not Make for a Welcoming Home

**Chapter 7: Anger Does Not Make For a Welcoming Home**

**A/N: Hello, I'm back and I'd just like to say thank you to the guest who left the comment asking when I would update. I wasn't updating for a reason. You see my story did not appear to be very popular and I was looking to see if anyone would notice if I stopped posting it... So again, thank you to that reviewer! If you do like my story, please don't hesitate to review, I update much more willingly if people do that!**

"Where have you been?!" Kagome had never before seen her father that angry. His face was red and the veins on his forehead were standing out.

"I was out for a walk." Kagome replied, careful to keep her voice calm. What she wanted was nothing more than to go to sleep. Crying always left her exhausted. But she could not dare say anything for fear of angering her father more.

"How many hours does it take for you to walk?!" If her father was angry before he was livid now. "You were gone for far longer than a mere walk should take! Did you know that Kouga has been by three times now? I was forced to tell him you were taken with a headache and resting!" Kagome looked up at him and decided to stay silent as her father continued.

"There was no note from you, no one could remember the last time they saw or who they last saw you with! You could have disappeared completely for all I knew!" Kagome saw a hint of worry break through the fury in her father's face and suddenly realised the reason for his anger.

The Magpie was back and then she disappeared without reason, except she came back more quickly than her mother had. But something made Kagome think. She wanted to go back to the Magpie's village. She had lost track of time that day and hadn't realised how many hours had passed before Sango had returned her home. What if she went next time and stayed until it was late at night. It would be too dangerous to even try and venture home once it got dark.

"Don't ever disappear again!" Her father's voice cut through her thoughts once more. "Do you realise how afraid I was you weren't coming home?!"

"I'm tired," Kagome interrupted, lifting a hand to her forehead. "It was a long walk and I find myself feeling faint." She trailed off as her father gave her a strange look.

"You're acting strange," he said slowly. "You know, you're mother was quiet when-"

"I was not stolen by the Magpie!" Kagome after all had not been kidnapped; she had gone more or less willingly. That did not count as being stolen in her books.

"Are you sure?" her father looked at her suspiciously.

"Yes, I am sure." Kagome was beginning to get fed up and honestly did want to go to her bed.

"I suppose," her father's voice was quieter. "Perhaps you should sleep, you are looking quite pale." Kagome stood and walked past him to reach the door.

"Why does everyone say that?" she whispered at the wrong moment and her father happened to hear her.

"Who is everyone?" he asked, her eyes narrowing.

"No one," Kagome replied innocently, silently cursing herself for speaking aloud.

"Were you with someone on this walk?"

"Oh, a new friend of mine. She also mentioned that my complexion was looking a little off." Her father did not look convinced so she decided to continue. "We walked along the first path in the forest and there was a fallen tree so we decided to sit and talk. We were so similar and lost track of time as we talked. I had not realised the hour until noticed how low the sun sat in the sky." Her father looked slightly more comfortable and appeared as if he was going to let her go.

"I had not realised that you had made a new friend," he leant back in his chair once more. "I would like to meet her one day. It is not often that you speak of a companion."

"Well," Kagome stalled beginning to think of all that could go wrong with her lie. "I am afraid that that would be difficult, father."

"But why?" her father asked, his lips tightening once more. "Is she not…respectable?"

"No of course not! She merely…" Sango flashed through Kagome's mind. "It is unfortunate that she does not live in this village. Today was her last day here and that was why we talked for longer than usual."

"I had not heard of a visitor," her father said, suspicious once more.

"We only have been talking about her amongst us younger girls," Kagome said hastily as her father nodded. He knew that there was a gap between the conversations between him and his daughter's.

"And she is gone now," he clarified.

"Yes, most definitely gone." Kagome nodded her head furiously to further prove her point. "Never coming back."

"Never?"

"Well never might be a bit of an exaggeration…" Kagome felt well and truly lost. It was more difficult than you thought, being vague. "She may come back, she wasn't certain. She hasn't any family here."

"Then what was her purpose in coming?"

"The forest!" A burst of inspiration hit Kagome. "Her parents have spent thousands sending her for proper schooling and she chose nature as her main study. The forest here is known for its abundance in species of flowers. She made a trip here for a school project and, after making many friends, is considering returning for another visit. She thinks it may be unlikely though." Kagome held her breath as her father nodded in understanding.

"Well," he began slowly. "If she does ever return, it would be polite to invite her for supper. I would have preferred it, Kagome, if you had allowed me to meet her this time round."

"Of course father, if I ever see her again I will most certainly take her to see you quicker than a dog can bark!" Kagome said in mock eagerness and her father gave a small chuckle.

"Quicker than the sun as it offers light," he contributed and Kagome felt relieved as he acted more normal.

"Quicker than it takes your word to meet my ear," she said, continuing their game.

"Quicker than it takes you to eat a cake." Her father laughed again, louder this time and didn't notice as Kagome's smile slipped. She didn't like being criticized. Being teased was one thing but she could hear the underlying statement in her father's joke. She did enjoy sweet delicacies but she had been proud of her self for restraining her love. Kagome felt that her father's tease was stretching the rope too thin and a streak of cruelty pulled itself into her mouth.

"Quicker than it takes the Magpie to steal silver," she said coolly, watching her father for his reaction. His laughter diminished instantly and his eyes met hers with a similar frost. The stare lasted for what felt like several minutes before Kagome rose, her gaze never leaving his.

"If you will excuse me father." Her voice felt stiff in her mouth. Cold and unrelenting. It tasted like metal and she fought the urge to spit in order to be rid of the taste. "It was a long walk and I am tired." Her father made no reply and instead, turned towards the window. Kagome felt a strange pull in her heart as he broke their gaze for it felt like he was pulling away from her. The contact their eyes had held had been a strand connecting the two, and with a mere motion he had broken it. They had been boats attached at the same dock, and Kagome had just been cut loose.

'You should expect him to be angry,' she scolded herself as she made her way to her room. 'What you said to him was not just mean, it was spiteful. It is too much for you to want him to forget it all and act as if it never happened.' Kagome considered for a moment walking back into the room where her father sat and offering an apology. But something made her continue on the way to her bedroom. She did not want to apologize for what she said. It felt like she was apologizing for Inuyasha's existence.

"In fact," she huffed quietly. "Inuyasha should be the one apologizing to my father!" She opened her bedroom door with a little more force than necessary and shut it in a similar manner. "After all, he is the main cause of this mess." After that Kagome decided forgetting the Magpie could be a good idea and went to sit in front of her mirror.

She looked at her looking glass for a long time, her face stiff and unmoving. Eventually, she raised one hand and gently stroked her reflection's cheek.

"You're not lonely are you?" she asked softly, looking herself in the eye. "You don't want any of the things people try to give you. You are happy with the way things are." That was what Kagome had told her father. That was what Kagome had told Inuyasha. And that was what Kagome was telling herself.

But there was a small niggle of fear inside the depths of her heart. There was a faint thought that, perhaps, she did want company. She did want friends and she did want love. Desperately. But she didn't want the friends and love that her home provided. They weren't enough.

Staring at her face, Kagome allowed her grip on the niggle to slip. She allowed the niggle to grow into a doubt, the doubt to grow into a worry, and the worry grow into a fear. She allowed it to tell her what she really wanted.

Which was love. Proper love. Love that was not hidden behind walls and bars like her father's. Love that was not disappearing as time went on like her mother's. But love like the ones she read about. Love that would cause someone to give up their life for her. Kagome wanted a friend who would listen to her every trouble, no matter how dull and tedious it was. But not just a friend. For it suddenly hit Kagome. What she had been against, and complained of to others was something she wanted most.

Kagome wanted a husband. She wanted to get married and live her life in a marriage that her parent's had never experienced. But she did not want Kouga. Kagome wanted a husband who she could have an interesting conversation with. One that would never be boring and would think the same of her. She wanted a husband who could irritate her and make her angry in minutes. Kagome wanted a husband she could fight with and still love just as much when it was over. Kagome wanted someone she loved.

But that was unrealistic. Her father would never allow her to leave the village if not with a suitable male escort. And he would not let her do that if she was not married to the suitable male escort. So there was no chance of Kagome ever getting anywhere if she were not married. And the reason the need to get somewhere was to be married. Kagome groaned and pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead. She was doomed to live the rest of her life in the small, insignificant village she had grown up in. The pounding of Kagome's head was beginning to become a proper headache and she prepared for bed carefully. As the sky became stained from dark blue to black as Kagome slipped beneath her bed sheets and fell asleep with the dream of an impossible life.

When she next opened her eyes, Kagome noted the height of the sun in the sky and realized her father must have let her sleep. It was nearly noon and usually, a maid would have woken her hours earlier. Kagome was unsure of whether to be grateful of this or worried her father merely wished not to see her.

Hurriedly, she got dressed and made her way downstairs, entering the eating room as the servants prepared for lunch. A maid came up, still balancing a plate of food and curtsied slightly to Kagome.

"Your father is in his study," she said quietly. "He asked for you to see him when you had risen from bed."

"Thank you." Kagome nodded and walked down the hall a little ways more. She knocked on the only door painted red and waited a little until she heard her father call her in.

She entered the room and winced as she noticed his stuffed wolf in one corner. It was her father's pride and joy. He and his friend had been on a small hunting trip, just the two of them, and had come across the largest wolf they had seen. Her father, having his rifle ready loaded, had shot the creature first and carried it proudly back to the village.

It swiftly became well known as "the canine bear" in reference to its impressive weight. It was an animal far too spectacular to merely use as food and Kagome's father had taken a week-long trip to Tokyo in order to get the beast properly preserved. Ever since then it had sat beside his desk, its lips pulled back into a permanent sneer and its eyes staring dully at nothing.

The wolf had never bothered Kagome before but looking at it then she was reminded of the time she had spent after leaving the Magpie's clearing. The forest had been far too…alive then, the wolves included.

"Ah, Kagome," her father spoke but kept his eyes on his papers. "I trust you slept well?"

"Indeed," Kagome inclined her head gracefully. "I feel in much better health this morning."

"I am glad."

Kagome disliked their conversation. It was far too polite and cold for her liking. She and her father were supposed to be joking. Eventually, her father looked up and their gaze met. Kagome could see the apology in his eyes and was relieved by it. He was asking for a truce. To not mention the conversation they had had the night before. She responded by holding his gaze and he gave a smile which Kagome returned after a moment's hesitation.

She took a seat in the front of his desk and positioned herself so that her back was facing the wolf.

"Do you have much work to do?"

"A little," her father replied, gesturing towards his stack of papers. "But it is nothing too unbearable. I shall be done before we are called for lunch."

Kagome touched the heap gently. "It does not look like so little it can be finished that soon."

"It could be finished sooner but I fear it is too dull for me," he said, returning to his writing. The hand that wrote began to speed, scratching its way across the paper and Kagome could tell that he was happier. He was pleased she was being kinder to him.

"Yes," he began again, looking up and meeting Kagome's smile. "I am a person intended for adventure!" He began to laugh at his jest and Kagome forced herself to join.

"If you will pardon me," she said suddenly, breaking into his mirth. "I must prepare myself more for the day." All of sudden Kagome had felt the urge to leave. She did not want to hear her father speak of adventure. It sounded such a mundane word coming from his lips. Somehow, her father managed to make even adventure sound so….ordinary.

"Of course you must," her father agreed. "After all, Lord Kouga will be joining us as we eat." Kagome froze on her way out the door.

"And may I ask why?" she asked, her voice steady and still.

"We are to begin discussing your wedding," her father answered, watching for her reaction warily.

"Of course." Kagome sighed and left the study, shutting the door silently behind her. She remained still, leaning against the wall and wondered if she could pretend to suddenly fall ill. But it would be to no avail. Kagome had missed her breakfast and, having not eaten the night before, was starving.

"A wedding would be nicer in the summer do you not agree my Lady?" Lord Kouga was speaking with his mouth filled with food once more and Kagome could not bring herself to look at him. Roast rabbit was not her favourite dish as it was, but she especially disliked it when viewed in another's mouth.

"A wedding is a wedding no matter the season," she replied, her eyes firmly fixed on her plate.

"June is a month named after the Ancient Greek goddess of love," Kagome's father broke in, smiling at Kouga and his daughter. "Would it not be most romantic to be married then?" Kouga nodded eagerly but Kagome looked up in thought.

"But then, would it not be an insult to the goddess if her month were to be used for a loveless marriage?" she asked, her gaze switching between the two men.

An uncomfortable silence fell upon the room as everyone was reminded of Kagome's aversion to the marriage.

"Perhaps not then," muttered Kouga, staring abjectly at his fork.

"A winter wedding then!" Kagome's father remained jovial and ignored his daughter. "It would be most unusual, and could be quiet stunning if done correctly." But it was no use however hard he tried. The cheerful mood from earlier had been banished and the rest of the meal was eaten in silence.

Kouga stayed with Kagome, despite her many hints, for the rest of the afternoon and his slow conversation made her long for Sango and her quick fire responses. Eventually though, Kouga announced that it caused him great sorrow, but he must leave Kagome for another day. Kagome had to work desperately to keep her smile under control.

After a thankfully quiet supper Kagome went to bed, quite exhausted by the hours spent smiling falsely. She lay for a moment in the dark wondering what Sango, Miroku and the Magpie would be doing. Well, she was mostly thinking about Sango for she held no interest in the Magpie and she could easily assume the pastimes of Miroku.

She wondered if the three were having an adventure. The word that sounded so wrong when used by her father brought a smile to her lips then. Adventure suited them perfectly. The Magpie and his crew were adventure.

Just as Kagome's eyes were beginning to shut a sudden noise sounded outside her window. A few seconds later it came again. And again! It was a peculiar rattle and Kagome sat in her bed waiting once more. Yes! There is was! Kagome looked towards her drawn curtains. Because the rattle had sounded suspiciously like pebbles.

**A/N: I hope that this chapter makes up for the wait... See you next Friday!**

**Next chapter: Appearances May Be Deceiving**

**-DarkAsTheNightSky**


	8. Appearances May Be Deceiving

**Chapter 7: Appearances May Be Deceiving**

**A/N: Thank you again to my reviewers! And again, thank you to the guest for that comment, I'm glad that you are enjoying my story and that you want me to continue. :D Anyway... enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

Kagome moved forward slowly and released the catch on her window pane. She opened it gently, listening carefully for a creak until it was open enough for her to lean her head out. She did so and noticed a figure standing in the garden path, just before a handful of gravel hit her in the face.

"Oh, sorry!" Sango giggled a hand over her mouth in an attempt to be silent. "It took you so long to come to your window I thought you were dead!" Kagome snorted slightly as she tried to wipe dust from her eyes.

"You could have been throwing rocks at the wrong window," she pointed out. "Or I could merely have been in a very deep sleep."

"I have excellent aim," dis-agreed Sango. "And you don't look like a deep sleeper."

"Again with the assumptions," Kagome groaned making a move as if to return to bed.

"Wait!" Sango exclaimed hastily. "Let me up! I want to talk to you!" Kagome turned back and looked down at her friend.

"How could you possibly get up? I'm on the second floor!"

Sango placed a hand upon her hip. "There is a convenient tree beside your window my friend, it makes your room easier to reach." Kagome looked to one side and noted that Sango was correct. Of course, she mentally berated herself. How else could Sango have got into her room that first night?

In only a few moments, Sango had scaled the tree and was seated on a branch nearest the window. Kagome looked at it sceptically.

"It's still too far, you're going to fall."

"Of course I can't get in with you standing there! Move back and open the windows wider."

"I can't open them wider or they'll creak!"

"Do you honestly expect me to fit through that little crack?" Kagome sighed and pulled back from the window. She placed one palm on the open window pane and pushed carefully. It did not squeak as badly as it could have done and soon it was as far open as it could go. She then, using her other hand, lifted the latch of the second pane and pushed that one open as well. She stuck her head back out to see Sango leaning against the trunk lazily.

"They're open," Kagome whispered and Sango began to edge further down the branch.

"For heaven's sakes Kagome move back," Sango shouted quietly. "I'm going to have to jump soon or the branch will break and I can't get in with you filling the space!" Kagome hurriedly retreated to the other side of the room and watched the window.

"If you die, you will not believe the scolding I would receive when they found your body!" she called across the room.

"Ever the optimist aren't you Kagome?" Sango's voice floated through the open window. "Don't you know how to lie?" Kagome sighed and decided to ignore the question. If she strained her ears she could hear hushed counting and knew that Sango would soon jump.

And soon she did. There was a rustle of leaves and a figure suddenly appeared in Kagome's window, barely landing on the edge of the sill. In a desperate attempt to regain her balance, Sango grasped one of the window panes falling forwards. As she fell the window hinges let out a horrible shriek and eventually the window was closed with a tremendous bang.

Sango rolled over so her eyes met Kagome's across the room and the two girls remained absolutely motionless. What felt like several hours passed and when no sound of footsteps were heard they began to relax and Sango started to push herself up.

Suddenly, there was a timid knock on the door and in a flash Sango had rolled beneath Kagome's bed. Kagome herself went to the door and opened it just enough to see out of.

"Yes?" she asked the young maid, who stood, shivering in a nightdress.

"I-I heard a sound m'lady," the maid murmured, her eyes lowered.

"I had accidentally left my window open before I slept." Kagome dismissed the problem with a quiet laugh. "What you heard was just the wind blowing it shut." She looked at the small girl and felt an unexpected burst of sympathy. "It frightened me too." The girl looked up and flashed Kagome a small smile.

"If you don't need anything then Miss, may I-?"

"Of course!" Kagome nodded quickly. "Go back to bed. There is nothing to worry about!" The maid scuttled off down the hallway and Kagome sighed in relief.

"She's gone," she said turning back to her room.

"Do you think she's the only one who'll check?" asked Sango as she slid out from beneath the bed.

"I would assume she was the one chosen by the other maids to check. They don't like to all do a task it only takes one to perform. And my father sleeps on the other side of the house. I doubt he would have heard."

Sango nodded and walked over to the window. "Did it never occur to you to oil these?" Kagome sighed and walked over to join her.

"We've tried that with many different oils. But still, they squeak. My mother once said it's because the wrong person is opening them but nobody knows what she meant by that." Sango gave a 'hmm' of agreement before turning to Kagome with a wide grin.

"Are you ready?"

"Ready for what?"

"To go and see what I want to show you! We're running late now as it is."

"What are we going to see?"

Sango huffed impatiently before replying. "If I tell you it'll ruin the surprise! Now let's go!" She started towards the window but turned back as Kagome shook her head violently.

"I am not climbing out of the window!" Kagome hissed. "I'm wearing my nightdress! And it's cold out there. I can't even climb trees!"

"I forgot! I took these from Inuyasha's hut." Sango produced a pair of black breeches and a loose linen shirt. "He is only a little larger than you so these should be fine."

"I am not wearing the Magpie's clothes!" Kagome exclaimed, forgetting for a moment to be quiet.

"Shhh! If you won't wear them then how will you get down?"

"I told you! I can't even climb trees."

Sango scowled. "All you need to do is climb onto the branch. It's easier to get on to than it is to get off. On the other side of the tree is a drainpipe. If you would just wear the breeches then we can slide down that easily."

"But I don't want to wear breeches!" The last word was uttered in disgust and Kagome turned her back on Sango who was beginning to show signs of frustration.

"Just put them on!" she snapped, shoving the clothes into Kagome's hand. "I'll keep my back turned and if you're not dressed soon I'll dress you myself." Again, Kagome did not doubt Sango's strength and decided it might be safer to just do as she was ordered to.

In a few minutes she was dressed and stood awkwardly before Sango, who was grinning.

"Why do I have to do this?" she asked again and Sango laughed once more, pleased that she had won the fight.

"You'll see," Sango replied. "It will be worth it when we get there." She then turned to the window. "Now, if you just copy exactly what I do there's be a much lesser chance of you falling." Those words did little to comfort Kagome, and she stepped warily onto the window sill behind Sango.

Following Sango's motions as precisely as she could, Kagome grasped a handful of the ivy that grew up her house and placed a foot on a ledge below her window. It was narrow and felt unstable but slowly she edged her way across it until reaching the branch Sango had jumped from.

Climbing onto the branch was easier than Kagome had expected and she felt more comfortable on that than the side of the house. Gripping the leaves above her head she walked forward, small step by small step until reaching the trunk. Behind the trunk she could see the drain pipe Sango had told her about and looking down noted that Sango was already at the bottom.

She reached out to clutch the pipe when a sudden wave of fear took hold of her. She pulled her hand back and gripped it to the tree trunk with stubborn strength.

"What are you doing?" she heard Sango whisper from the ground below. "Hurry up Kagome we need to get there soon!" Despite more comments from Sango it still took several minutes until Kagome had the courage to reach for the drain pipe once more.

It took no trouble for her to slide to the ground and she surprised herself by enjoying it. There was a strange exhilaration to the thought of escaping at night.

"This way," Sango called quietly, and the two ran from the garden in the direction of the woods. Before they entered the forest however, Sango stopped and turned to Kagome.

"Is there anything you notice tonight?" she asked and Kagome looked around for anything unusual. Eventually it hit her.

"The moon is full," she replied.

"Exactly." Kagome could see moonlight reflected off of Sango's teeth as she spoke. "It is the precise opposite of a new moon. And that too, is important." Again the pair set off and Kagome knew that they were headed towards the Magpie's clearing.

They reached the edge of the clearing after some time and Kagome could see a strange glow and hear the echo of laughter through the hills.

"What's happening?" she asked Sango, straining her ears in an attempt to hear more.

"Come on," Sango whispered and the two burst from the trees into the circle of huts.

Kagome looked around in amazement. The village was alight with candles. They blazed at every doorway and in every window. The clearing was filled with people, each holding a light in their hands as they danced and sang and talked. It was beautiful. It was almost magical.

"We do this every full moon," Sango explained beside her. "It is like we are celebrating the opposite of our thieving night. The leftover wax from every candle lit over the month is saved and we mould them into new ones for tonight. We celebrate the night of darkness by wearing black and thieving silently. And we celebrate the night of most light by providing the sky with even more."

Looking around Kagome could notice that each candle was a different shape, and some of them even multi-coloured. But they were all more beautiful than any candle she had seen in her life.

"Do you notice anything else?" She heard Sango ask and looked around once more. When she realized it she gasped.

"It's all our silver!" she exclaimed turning back to her friend. And it was true. The silver had been cunningly hung over the huts and in the trees to reflect the light both keeping it secret and brightening the clearing even more.

"Is this all it's used for?" Kagome asked, frowning back at Sango who laughed and shook her head.

"Most of it we sell or trade, but the flattest, most reflective pieces are stored for full moon." Sango shrugged. "It gives us something to look forward to each month." Kagome sighed and looked forward, smiling in delight.

"It's so beautiful," she sighed, enjoying the joy in the atmosphere of the celebration. She turned back around only to find that Sango had disappeared. In her place was a fairly annoyed looking Magpie.

"You came then," he grunted, his eyes looking at the dancing.

Kagome looked in the same direction, absent mindedly tapping her foot. "I did."

"You didn't have to."

"I wasn't going to at first."

The Magpie scowled once more. "Outsiders shouldn't be let in to this."

"And why should we not?"

"Because," he kicked a stone. "You'd never think of inviting us to your parties."

Kagome remained silent at that. Inuyasha had made a valid point.

"I don't think I'm quite an outsider though," she began after some time.

"What part of you isn't an outsider?"

"I do not know. I know a lot about you. Far more than the rest of the other outsiders know. And I have been here before. I am less of an outsider than others."

"Keh." Inuyasha remained stubbornly interested in the ground. "You think that because Sango told you some stories you know everything about us. You think you're a Magpie expert. But trust me-" For the first time he looked up and met her gaze. "You're barely scratching the surface." He turned back and gestured to the party. "It isn't quite the drab, circle of misery you first thought is it?"

Kagome smiled and shook her head. "It isn't."

"What do you think of our village?" Kagome looked to one side and noticed that the Magpie was genuinely interested.

"I think," she began before stopping for a moment's thought. "I think your village is like an owl."

"An owl?! What comparison do-"

"Let me finish. In the daytime it is of no real brilliance. It has a deceiving appearance and looks dull and un-inviting. If you do happen to stumble upon it the village appears hostile and unwelcoming. It does not want you there, as if you have disturbed its sleep. In that way it is like an owl." She trailed off into silence, waiting for the Magpie to interrupt angrily once more. To her surprise he didn't and she decided to continue.

"But at night, or at least on nights like these, everything changes. The village wakes from its sleep and changes from the unimportant…thing to a strong creature of the night. There is no longer anything dull about it and in fact it is something to be feared. There is energy beneath all of this." She pointed to the clearing. "An energy that does not give any impression of dying down. I can feel it beating beneath my feet." Inuyasha looked at the ground suspiciously. "The clearing is now alive. All the people here, they are of different blood. But when put together they make one person. One mass. There is nothing, I feel, that can stop the people in this clearing now." Kagome turned towards the still silent thief. "Is there no angry comment for that?" He shook his head slowly and she raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"It is strange." Inuyasha's voice was low and Kagome leaned to one side in order to hear him better. "It seems that you- you do understand more than I had first thought." He did not elaborate further and Kagome was curious enough to ask.

"With which part was I correct?" The Magpie waved his hand to encompass everyone in the clearing.

"When you said that we were one. It sounds silly and romantic to say it in that way but it is true. We all know each other better than anyone and would never abandon another. It feels like leaving one of us to die would feel as if we all lost an arm or a leg. We have all seen too many things together that it wold be impossible to break apart now." Inuyasha leaned against a tree. "I suppose when they say you become a thief for life its true." Kagome laughed and replied.

"Yes, what they mean by that is that stealing is addictive and that if you steal one thing you simply move on to more and more and bigger and bigger. But from what you just told me it must be more than that."

"It is not merely an occupation it is a life. You cannot give up your own life for another's whenever you feel it a good idea."

Kagome nodded once more and the two stood in silence before she spoke of a different subject.

"You don't appear to have your fish with you…" Inuyasha's expression soured.

"Miroku thought it would be a good idea to teach my fish to swim." Kagome laughed at the thought of the stone fish learning quickly how to swim to the bottom.

"I did not know that there was water in this forest."

The Magpie nodded. "There is a creek just a little to the east of this clearing. It is where we get all of our water."

"Can you show it to me?" Inuyasha looked at Kagome warily but seemed to deem her question innocent.

"Now?"

"That would be nice." He turned on his heel without a further word and Kagome decided to follow him as he left the clearing.

The two were suddenly plunged into darkness as they left the candlelight and Kagome was worried that she would lose her guide. Suddenly though, they were bathed in moonlight as they came to the creek.

Kagome notice how perfect it was for drinking, clear and fast flowing, and was impressed with the care the Magpie had taken to set up his camp. But the clarity of it made it beautiful and the water shone silver in the night.

She moved forward and crouched beside the stream, dipping her fingers in at the edge. When she pulled them out she half expected them to glow like the moon as if the river was made of paint. But no such thing happened and her hand was merely wetter and colder than it had been before. The Magpie remained watching her at the edge of the trees and she turned back to him.

"It is lovely," she called and watched him scoff.

"A female thing to say."

"It is lucky then, that I am a female." Kagome was in a strangely happy mood, and not even Inuyasha's pessimism could spoil that.

"It is a pity though," she continued, walking towards his side. "That I was not able to make my own candle. There was something so pleasant about the ones in the clearing."

"You want to make candles?" She could feel his eyes on her cheeks and nodded without meeting his gaze. Kagome heard him scuffle around and finally turned to see him bring from his pockets a lump of wax and a thin rope.

"I keep them with me in case of sudden dark," he said defensively before turning back to the materials in his hands.

"I never said anything of the sort," replied Kagome mildly, as he broke the wax in half and cut the rope with a knife at his belt. She accepted her share of the objects and the two sat in silence.

Kagome was pleased to find that sculpting the candle was simple, the wax being soft and warm after being kept in a pocket. She smoothed and rounded it with her fingers before thumping it on the ground creating a flat, even bottom. Happy, she placed it beside the Magpie's, which was uneven and more oval than round.

"There was something that my father and I-" Inuyasha suddenly said, rising to his feet.

"Your father and you-?"

"We used to do it sometimes, not often, even more seldom before he-before he died." Kagome watched in silence as Inuyasha lifted two water lilies that were growing at the edge of the banks and cut them near the top. He brought them to Kagome and with his knife cleared the centre until the flowers resembled bowls. He placed his candle in one and Kagome did the same with hers. The Magpie then produced a match from his pocket and the two set the candles alight.

They walked slowly and carefully back to the creek before setting the lilies in the water. Inuyasha pushed first and Kagome followed and they watched as the flowers floated with the river flow.

The effect was sudden and silencing. Through the pale skin of the lily petals and the reflection of the water it looked as if the stream was on fire. They glowed and spun and knocked into one another in a strange and random dance. Kagome watched, her breath burning in her chest as she felt even breathing would ruin the moment. She and the Magpie watched the flames float further and further away and Kagome exhaled. As she did so, she felt the stress and pain that her home had thrust upon her vanish, and dissipate above the tree tops. She smiled, a small secret smile to herself. And Kagome watched, until the flame of the water was extinguished.

**A/N: I kind of liked that chapter (does that sound stuck up?) and hope that you did too! Now, if you wouldn't mind just reviewing that would be perfect ! ;)**

**Next chapter: It Isn't A Thief's Life Without Danger**

**See you next Friday!**

**-DarkAsTheNightSky**


	9. It Isn't A Thief's Life Without Danger

**Chapter 9: It isn't A Thief's Life without Danger**

**A/N: Hello! And yes, I know that it is Saturday and I am very sorry but here is your waited for chapter! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

"He's here." Kagome turned suddenly as someone spoke and noticed Sango standing at the edge of the trees. The Magpie stood and walked towards her.

"Who's here?" His voice was as calm as Sango's and his face even more impassive.

"Naraku," Sango replied and Kagome was struck by how different she looked. Her mouth was no longer smiling but rather, turned down at the corners and her eyes were dull in the moonlight. "A scout came upon his group as they set up camp just west of our clearing. We think that he's planning on robbing Kagome's village."

"What will he take?" The two thieves turned and stared at Kagome as if they had forgotten her presence.

"What will he take?" Kagome repeated, not liking the solemn notes in their voices. "If he's coming to my village I want to know what will happen. I want to be prepared."

"You can't," said Inuyasha shortly. "There is no way to be prepared for Naraku, there is no system to the way he works. He does not have a pattern, not even we can anticipate his movements."

"We'll try and make it alright," Sango added in kinder tones. "But I think we'll need your help."

"My help?" Kagome asked looking at Sango in surprise.

"Her help?!" Inuyasha glared at Sango. "When will we ever need her help?! She's useless! She's just a little girl!" Kagome drew herself up to her full height.

"Little girl? Why, you're hardly older than I am!"

"This isn't the time!" Sango interrupted, trying desperately to prevent and argument. But it was too late.

"I was talking mentally!" Inuyasha snapped. "Mentally I'm hundreds of years older! I am the wise man whose feet you sit at!"

"It will be a dark day the time you become a wise man!" Kagome was standing up, her face turning red in anger. She had been quite happy earlier. Inuyasha had been kind, she had thought the two had broken a wall ad could become friends. Apparently not...

"Keh." Inuyasha turned suddenly, slamming his pocket knife into the tree behind him. He looked back as Kagome swallowed nervously. "A human body is three times softer than an oak tree's trunk. I am able to get my knife approximately two inches into this trunk. I am able to pass it through a mere human stomach. When you are strong enough to accomplish you can help!" With a subdued grunt the Magpie pulled his knife from the tree leaving behind an ugly gash. He turned and marched back to the clearing without another word.

Kagome looked at the wounded tree's trunk. The edges were ragged and speckles of sap oozed along the cut.

"Do you have a knife?" she asked. Her voice was unexpectedly cool and controlled. Sango remained still for a moment noting the underlying anger.

"What are you going to do with it?" she finally replied, eyeing Kagome warily. The girl in question laughed shortly.

"I'm not going to find some poor person's stomach to hurl it through Sango!" Her eyes narrowed marginally and she muttered to herself, "But if I was I think I know who it would be." She turned back to Sango, held out her hand and spoke in sweeter tones. "I won't hurt anything! There's just something I feel needs doing."

Sango passed over her knife cautiously, her eyes never leaving Kagome's face. "You're not going to hurt yourself are you?"

"I do believe that I fall under the category of anything," Kagome said mildly, turning back to the oak Inuyasha had so abused. Carefully, using the blade of the knife she scraped at the gouge, evening out the edges. Then, taking hold of the blade, she knocked the handle against the solidifying sap; smoothing the wood until it she seemed satisfied.

Sango watched in silence until Kagome was done and wordlessly took back her knife. The two women stood side by side, looking at the neatened slash. Kagome finally broke the moment and turned to Sango.

"How do you need my help?"

"Naraku is not kind like we are. He is unpredictable but we know for certain if someone gets in his way he will kill them. He does not care who it is or what they do; they are mere obstacles in his path."

"Anyone?" Another thought occurred to Kagome. "Does he go to kill or will he take...everything?"

"Again, we cannot be sure. Sometimes he will take very little. Other times the house will be bare."

"How do we stop those from getting in his path?"

"Your village is the only one around for a fair distance so it is safe to assume it's his target. What we need you to do is somehow get the whole village to come into the woods. I'll tell you where to lead them and you need to keep them there until you hear a signal. Only then will it be safe for you to let them back."

"What will all of you be doing?"

"We'll be looking for him. I told you Kagome, we're all here because we all want Naraku dead. We wouldn't allow a chance like this to slip by."

Kagome nodded and followed Sango through the trees. They passed a familiar fallen tree and Kagome looked up sharply.

"You're taking me home!"

Sango nodded. "You need to sleep as much as possible for tomorrow."

"That's when he'll come?"

"Yes, and most probably during the day which makes it harder for us."

Kagome frowned. "I thought you said Naraku was completely unpredictable."

Sango continued to look forward. "It is human nature to have a pattern however hard you try. We have been following Naraku long enough that we think we have figured it out. It is long and complicated but a pattern all the same."

"So you are able to estimate what time of day he will arrive?"

"Yes. Night, Evening, Dawn, Day, and multiple times between those. What has happened to our advantage is that Naraku does not believe that anyone has been following him as faithfully as us. He has become careless and let slip one of his secrets."

"Which is?"

"He tries to get the job done as soon as possible. Naraku has never spent more than two days in an area because it is safer for him to remain on the move. So it is safe to assume that he will arrive tomorrow and then be gone the very same day."

"But what on earth could I say to persuade an entire village to come into the forest?!"

Sango laughed and pointed in the direction of Kagome's home. "That, my dear friend, is where you shall have to be creative."

"Where you shall have to be creative," Kagome mimicked bitterly as she trudged her way back to her house. "However creative I may be, getting a whole village to abandon their home is a definite feat." She marched through the front hall and cursed as she remembered she was supposed to be in bed. Thankfully, no one was around. "The village may be small but it still has a fair amount of occupants." She pushed at her bedroom door. "It'll be the work of a miracle."

Sitting on her bed, she smoothed the dirt off of her borrowed trousers when something caught around her finger. Kagome lifted it up to her candlelight to examine it. It was a hair. But a hair of unnatural darkness, so deep it looked like a cut in the air. The darkness behind the colour of the world was beginning to seep through. Kagome frowned, and held it to her own locks, it did not match. Her hair appeared almost brown beside this strand. Suddenly it hit her. Of course! The breeches she had borrowed had been from the Magpie's wardrobe. This strand was his hair. Kagome smiled gently to herself, a plan beginning to form in her mind.

"Of course," she whispered, dressing herself for bed. "Sometimes miracles do happen, however irritating they may be."

The next day, Kagome woke early, and spent three quarters of an hour carefully forging a note. It took what felt like days until she deemed her handwriting as suitable. Taking the hair she had placed beneath a paper weight she rolled her note and tied it closed with the strand. Kagome smiled and tapped the roll of paper gently beneath her lip.

"It is time to begin," she mused quietly. "Now let's see how truly good at acting I am."

She made her way around the house until noticing her father making his way to the breakfast room. Kagome looked down and noted with pride at her dishevelled, only just woken appearance. She held her head up once more, and began to rush, with a stride that shrieked of panic, towards her father.

"What is it?" he asked, as she reached him, gasping for breath. "What is it Kagome, what happened? Are you alright?"

"I...found...found a...note...on my...on my...on my..."

"Sit down." Her father hurriedly pushed her into a seat and took the chair opposite for himself. "Calm down Kagome, breathe slowly. There, that's better. Now tell me." Kagome looked over at him, breathing more easily, and decided to shorten her story. Details would only make it more difficult.

"I woke up this morning," she began quietly. "To find a note on my pillow." She looked up once more to catch her father's reaction. "It was from the Magpie." A sharp intake of breath sounded from a little further away and the two turned to see Kagome's mother.

"A letter from the Magpie?" her mother asked, her voice pleading. "Was it for me?" Kagome shook her head slowly, inwardly cursing her mother's timing.

"No mother," she replied. "It was not addressed to anyone but the content was clearly intended for my eyes. Besides," she added after a later thought. "I found it on my pillow after all." Kagome's mother frowned and shook her head.

"He must have mistaken you for me. Why would the Magpie write to you?" Kagome looked cautiously over at her father who was looking at the ground expressionlessly. Over the years her mother had become less subtle with her infatuation, but she had never said anything as solid as that.

"It was most definitely me," Kagome whispered, her heart fluttering with anxiety. "The letter, it is most definitely mine."

"Does it mention hair?" her mother demanded, anger beginning to edge into her tone. "If it says hair it's mine. She pulled the pins from her bun and stroked the curls that fell past her shoulder. "He wants it again, I know he does. Now that it's grown back he's returned."

"The letter did mention hair." Kagome's voice was hardly there. She looked up and met her mother's gaze. "But it mentioned mine, not yours."

"Nonsense," her mother snapped, tossing her freed locks off of her face. "What part of the note gives you the right to think that?"

Kagome carefully took the note and began to unfold it, wincing at every crackle the paper made. "It say right here mother," she began gently, pointing to a section of the letter. "It mentions the girl with hair that glow without the sun but as dark as twilight."

"It's me!" her mother insisted, gripping her head with both hands. "It's me he's talking about! Me! My hair is like that!"

"Mother." Kagome reached out a hand to take hold of her mother's arm. "It's not you. Look in the mirror, you're hair is almost grey now, it's not the hair the Magpie once stole."

"No." Kagome's mother shook her head vehemently. "You're lying, you're lying Kagome. I don't look a day older than when the Magpie took me back. I haven't allowed myself to age. The Magpie needs to recognise me."

Kagome decided that the conversation could last some time and decided to draw it to an end. She pointed down the hallway to a mirror hanging on the wall. "Look for yourself mother. Tell me if you have aged."

Kagome's mother marched down the hall and stared defiantly at her reflection. Slowly, her scowl melted off her eyebrows and her mouth went slack. She took a lock of hair and twisted it between her fingers.

"It's grey," she whispered. Kagome's mother used her other hand to stroke the wrinkles around her mouth and eyes. "I'm old." A tear balanced on the edge of her eye and eventually fell, following the lines of time in its descent. A finger wiped it away. A finger that was no longer young and smooth with pale skin, but a worked one. One that had seen life and had made its way through it. But then another tear fell. And another. And another. And then one finger was not enough. Her mother needed two to clear her cheeks of water, and then three. Eventually both hand covered her face and she crouched to the ground, shoulders quivering. Kagome walked forward, fighting down the panic that was rising in her throat. She bent down at sat on her knees, one hand placed on her mother's shaking bones.

Kagome's mother raised her tear stained face and looked at her daughter. "How long have I been like this?" she asked, her voice cracking. "How long have I been...old?"

Kagome swallowed but went forward with the truth. "A few years," she replied honestly. "They have been hard on you; it's not your fault."

"Not my fault?!" Kagome mother's voice rose to a shriek and broke when it went too high. "It is my fault! I wasn't supposed to age! I was supposed to stay young and to have waited for him. He'll never recognize me now! Not now that I look like- look like... this!" Kagome looked up at her father, pain in her eyes and he nodded. He lifted himself to his feet and walked calmly into another room. But Kagome tensed as she saw his expression. It was indescribably angry, his eyes snapping from the heat of it. She shook her head sharply and returned to the task of soothing her mother.

"You can't stop time," she whispered in an attempt to comfort. "No human being can."

"Then I should have found a way," her mother said, her voice no longer clogged with tears but rather, bitter. "I shouldn't have rested until I found a way to wait for him until the world ended. But instead I sat back and relaxed. I watched all my precious years just float by." She punched the floor angrily. "And I didn't do anything about it!"

Kagome suddenly felt almost as annoyed as her father. There was a definite selfishness to her mother's words. She did not care about her husband or her daughter. All she cared was that she was old. That she had missed the chance to return to her precious Magpie. A sudden spite took hold of Kagome's tongue and she found herself talking before she realized it.

"The Magpie's dead," she said, her words clipped and harsh. "He's never coming back to you now."

Her mother looked up, tears momentarily forgotten. "Then who is the note from?" Kagome stood up once more and decided to ignore the question. She began to walk back to the room her father had entered.

"Kagome stop!" She turned back to see her mother standing, her face angry. "How could you know that the Magpie is dead?! If he's dead, who sent the letter you hold in your hand?"

"It shouldn't bother you, you're married!" Kagome cried back, for both herself and her father. Her mother suddenly reached Kagome and slapped her smartly across the cheek.

"What did you mean by the Magpie's dead?" she hissed, her voice serious. Kagome realized how dangerous the situation could get if she allowed it to continue and realized all she could do was lie.

"I made it up," Kagome said and she hated how weak her voice sounded. "How would I know if the Magpie is dead or not? I was angry at you and I made it up." She couldn't look her mother in the eye and instead, stared angrily at the floor.

"That's better," her mother replied, satisfied. "He wouldn't die, he wouldn't die without me." She smiled and patted her daughter's sore cheek, ignoring when Kagome flinched away. "Don't lie again dear; it is an unbecoming trait in a young girl." She smiled once more, the expression on her face peaceful and serene. "Just give me my letter like a good girl and I won't tell your father what you said."

Kagome looked at her mother in disbelief. She was insane. There was no other reason for it. But Kagome had tired of the game and looked up once more.

"No." She shook her head with the obstinacy of a young child. 'It's my letter."

"Kagome," her mother warned. "I don't want to hit you again." Kagome's mouth opened slightly. She was being threatened. She was being threatened by her own mother.

In the few moments it took for her to come to that conclusion her mother had stepped forward and slipped the letter from Kagome's hand.

"Thank you dear." She held the note aloft triumphantly. "Now which room did your father go to?" Kagome pointed silently, unable to open her mouth for fear of losing control of her temper. She followed her mother into the same room, trailing a few steps behind. Her father looked up as they entered and his jaw tightened when he noticed the note.

"What does it say?" His voice was gruff.

"I don't know." In comparison Kagome's mother's voice was soft and light hearted. "Kagome and I were too busy chatting to allow me the time." She looked and saw her daughter hovering beside the door. "I should hope you don't talk that much when Kouga comes to visit," she admonished gently. "Chatter like that would scare any man away.

Kagome clenched her fist tightly and look to one side of the room. She had never actually hated her mother before, but at that moment it was definite. She could no longer feel any love. Kagome's mother ignored every tone of awkwardness in the air and unfolded the letter. She read it slowly, commenting every now and then on the contents.

"Strange, he does not mention our last meeting... Oh! How lovely! He must remember me looking as I did before...Well, I suppose my hair does still shine even if it is no longer dark... Ah, he always did have a way with words...Oooh! How witty!... Last paragraph now, let's see, yes, hmm, ye- oh!" Kagome's mother suddenly pulled the letter and hugged it towards her chest. She turned and looked at Kagome and her father with eyes that sparkled like the stars. "He said he wants to meet me! Today!"

Kagome closed her eyes tightly and swore under her breath. What was going to happen now?

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter: Improvisation's an Art**

**-DarkAsTheNightSky**


	10. Improvisation's an Art

**Chapter 10: Improvisation's an Art**

**A/N: I did actually intend for this to be updated yesterday buuuuut... my computer crashed. Literally. So, being the computer genius that I am I decided to leave it alone for a little while until it forgot it was broken... And it worked! Anyway, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

A silence descended upon the room and Kagome dared to look at her father's face. It was purple with anger and his eyes were hard, but when he spoke his voice was carefully controlled.

"Does he?" he asked quietly. "Where might that be?"Kagome's mother looked at him suspiciously.

"I can't tell you," she said suddenly, leaning back in her seat defiantly. "You'll stop me." Kagome suddenly looked up with an idea. She could use this to her advantage. Her father looked up as Kagome placed a gentle hand on his arm.

"Father," she began softly. "The Magpie has managed to put us in a very difficult situation. If we send Mother there, he will most likely take her back. If we don't let her go, he will probably come here."

"He wouldn't would he?" her father asked.

"He might, you can never tell with thieves." Kagome walked to look out of her window thoughtfully. "The Magpie must have a large crew. How else could he rob houses with such ease?" She turned back to face her father. "We should take the whole village to the meeting place." Kagome threw back her head and laughed as if enjoying the image in her head. "Imagine the Magpie's surprise when he comes and sees us!"

Kagome's father allowed himself a smile. "A good idea daughter... we will put all of the children and the women in one house. The rest of us will go to meet the Magpie." Kagome stood violently, ignoring her mother's protests.

"We mustn't split up!" Kagome tried desperately to keep the calm in her tone. "Father, what you are saying is that you leave a whole group of people unprotected. It is safer for us to stay together." Her father frowned.

"The more of us there are, the slower we will go."

"The more of us there are, the lesser chance of one disappearing," Kagome countered, her gaze never leaving his. There were a few moments of silence and eventually her father lowered his eyes.

"It is a good point," he conceded. "I shall call a gathering and we will discuss what to do.

_No!_ Kagome shouted silently. _We can't discuss what we are going to do! Naraku is coming today. He could be coming now. If we don't leave we'll die!_ She shook her head to clear it of thoughts and smiled at her father once more.

"We don't need to plan," she said, one edge of her mouth creeping up. "Let's just go. The Magpie must have spies. If he sees what we are planning to do he all our meeting will be useless. Let's surprise him."

Kagome's father looked over at her and frowned. His daughter's face was troubling him. It looked to... adventurous. That smile- it was not the smile of a demure young woman. It was the smile of someone who wanted to be in danger. He reached out one finger and pushed the quirked side of her mouth down.

"If you are to smile at all do so properly." His voice was quiet. "You should not twist your face into such contortions." Kagome sat in silence before standing.

"I still think," she said turning to leave. "That you are going to regret it if we split into groups."

Kagome walked back to her room, her heart feeling unnaturally cold and heavy. She had felt so proud of herself. She had felt wonderful, like a warrior of to fight. And then her father shot her down.

She reached her room and sat down on her bed. Her blood felt slow and sluggish through her veins, it thickened and thickened to the point Kagome felt a pain in her heart from the effort of its pumping. Her limbs felt heavy and when she tried to lift them her arms gravity would not release its grip. Kagome began to feel worried and stood up.

She instantly regretted it as she did so. The room spun and twirled around her. It was upside and back to front, and then normal. It continued in its random circle and made Kagome feel ill. Her throat filled with a sick chill and it filled her mouth so that she could not draw in a breath. She gasped and gasped, knowing that air was entering her lungs or else she would be unconscious. But she could not feel it and the pressure in her head began to rise.

It was not a head ache, it was much worse. It crushed at her mind and pushed all her thoughts out. Her eyes widened as she sank to the ground, unable to even whimper the pounding was so great. She could feel her skull vividly, as if it was shattering into thousands of pieces. She couldn't think, she couldn't do anything.

And then the feeling was gone. It suddenly...just wasn't there. Kagome stood back up gingerly, and held her head in her hands. But she was fine. There were not even fading remnants of what she had just felt. Her heart was beating to a normal, unhurried rhythm and her head was as cool and calm as it had been before. But instead of being reassured, Kagome instead, became more concerned.

"We have to go," she whispered to herself. "We really do have to go." She dressed herself in a comfortable dress and shoes and ran to the room where her mother and father were speaking angrily.

"We have to go," she repeated unable to think of anything else to say. "It's not safe here."

"Kagome?" her father looked at her questioningly. "Why are you so upset? We will go but it will take ti-"

"WE HAVE TO GO!" Kagome began to pace backwards and forwards. The pressure in her head had made her realise something was wrong. Something was telling her that there was a lot more to Naraku than she had previously suspected.

Kagome ran down to the kitchens.

"Cook!" The woman in question looked up in wonder at the dishevelled appearance of her mistress.

"Is everything alright m'lady?"

"Cook," Kagome ran forward and grasped the older woman's hands. "You know almost everyone in the village don't you?" The cook puffed out her chest in pride.

"I should say I do Miss Kagome. It's a cook's duty to know what's going on."

"Isn't it cooking?" Kagome was distracted for a moment.

"Cooking is only half the job m'lady. You must also know everything. Gossip is what keeps a town on its toes."

"Huh," Kagome nodded in interest. "You've never told me any gossip." The cook looked up eagerly.

"Would you like to hear some m'lady? You're in luck; today I just heard the best bit of news!" Kagome quickly pulled out a chair and sat, facing the cook.

"Tell me! My mother has never been one for- wait!" Kagome shook her head quickly and grasped the cook's hands. "Cook, you have to help me!" The cook hastily withdrew her hands from Kagome's.

"You mustn't do that miss! It isn't my place to be acting so familiar like with someone of your standing!" Kagome shook her head.

"It doesn't matter! Cook, I need you to get everyone who works in every house in the village. I need all the maids, all the footmen, servers, cooks, everyone!" Cook looked at Kagome strangely.

"Excuse me for asking m'lady but-" Kagome shook her head.

"No time! Just get everyone! Please!" She ran from the kitchen leaving the cook sitting, slightly bemused.

"Such a strange young girl..." the Cook shook her head before calling to one of the maids. "Get the others! We want everyone outside. Don't leave a single one in any house!" With a subdued grunt, she heaved herself from the chair. "Not like one of them would stay," she muttered to herself. "Anything to get out of working."

It had taken longer than Kagome would have liked but eventually every person who occupied the village was squeezed into the centre square. There was a thick, frustrated flavour to the air as people stood amongst each other, grumbling at being pulled from whatever task they had been doing.

"Do we even _know_ why we were all dragged out here?" cried one woman, flinging her arms down dramatically. "I _do_ have things I'd rather do than stand around!"

"That woman, you know, Lady Higurashi, she got a note from the Magpie. He wants to see her," explained the woman's friend. The dramatic woman looked up in newfound interest.

"Did he? That was very open of him. Not stealing her away this time then."

"No," agreed the friend. "But I think it's thought that it is dangerous to be separated. We are all going to surprise the Magpie."

"Oh!" The woman looked around, her former bad temper gone. "That's _quite _exciting I suppose." Kagome shook her head. This was going on too long. They need to get into the woods now!

"Mother!" she said suddenly, and the crowd fell uncannily silent. "Where did the Magpie say he wanted to meet you?" Her mother frowned and withdrew her note from the folds of her dress.

"It doesn't say," she frowned. "I suppose he assumed I would know where to go." Kagome groaned quietly. Sango had not told her where to go. Well, as long as they got as far into the forest as they could it should be alright. But...

"Then lead us," she said quietly, trying to keep her tone gentle.

"Well- but- I am not quite sure," her mother faltered before straightening her shoulders. "This way." Kagome sighed once more as the crowd followed her mother into the woods.

"These plans," she sighed quietly. "There's just so much that can go _wrong_."

"Are we there yet?" Kagome heard someone behind say quietly in the manner of a young child.

"A little further," Kagome's mother replied, her voice shaking slightly. "He would only meet me quite far into the woods."

"These woods are large," the same person's voice floated above the crowd once more. "How could he ever know where we are?"

"He will know." Kagome's mother's voice steadied with confidence. "He will most definitely find me."

About an hour's walk later they reached small area of the forest where the trees had thinned slightly. It was not, by definition, a clearing, but it was large enough for the crowd to halt and catch their breath.

"Here." Kagome's mother nodded. "This is the place. This is where he will come."

_I hope so,_ Kagome thought tiredly. _This is getting much more complicated than I had anticipated._

"What do we do now?" One of her father's friends asked, leaning against a tree.

"I suppose we should wait," came a reply and Kagome groaned as she recognised the voice. Kouga moved up behind her and placed a hand on her back.

"Are you all right my lady?" he asked softly and she nodded quickly, moving subtly away.

"I am fine my Lord Kouga, thank you." He did not pick up on her silent pleas and instead stepped closer still.

"I believe it would be safest if you remained near me." He kept his voice low so no others could hear. "I want to know that you are safe."

"Of course I will be safe!" Kagome straightened her back and looked Kouga in the eye. "I believe, Lord Kouga, that you are mistaking me to be weak, a character trait I am pleased to say I do not possess!"

Kouga laughed quietly and did not reply. He dropped his hand from Kagome's back and stepped back.

"I will go with the others to look out for the Magpie. Do not stray far into the woods my Lady. It would be dangerous to lose you."

Kagome inclined her head to one side. "Of course."

A sudden bang caused the crowd to fall into silence. No one dared to utter a word. Minutes passed and Kagome wondered if the sound was real until it came again, this time even louder. It was accompanied by a crash, and shouts that multiplied and rang through the darkness. No one was able to decipher where the voices came from, they echoed throughout the woods in their volume.

But then just as suddenly, the noises disappeared and the woods were soundless once more. It was eerie in its peculiarity and succeeded in hushing the villager for a spare few moments. Soon though, chatter broke out and the volume of talk rose once more.

Then, Kagome felt a strange prickle at the back of her neck, as if she was being watched. She turned slowly, but saw nothing other than the disgruntled village occupants. But it was definitely there. It was not her imagination. She faced the way she was originally facing and waited, her ears straining for any noise to give her watcher away. And there it was. The faintest crack of a foot stepping on a branch. The floor of the clearing the villagers were in was devoid of any such things and was of a soft, spongy texture. The crack had clearly come from the edge of the clearing. Kagome turned once more to catch the arm of the person beside her.

"Tell everyone to be quiet," she hissed. "Tell the man beside you and he must tell the one beside him...do it now!" The woman looked towards Kagome and noticed her serious expression. With hushed tones she relayed the message to her neighbour and very slowly the crowd fell silent.

Kagome listened intently but could no longer here the footstep. Of course not. Whoever had been walking must have realised that she had caught on to them. There was not sound except for that of the breeze.

But still, whoever it was Kagome knew he was still there, she could feel it in the depths of her mind.

She stood at the edge of the clearing with her back to the trees, in order to see all of the villagers at once. The reality of the situation was beginning to make itself clear and Kagome could see traces of fear in everyone's eyes. But no one appeared to be panicking over a lost person and there were many clutched hands so all appeared to be safe.

But then, the feather soft touch of someone's breath met the back of Kagome's neck and her spine froze in shock.

**A/N: Does that count as a cliff hanger? Anyway, there might not be another chapter for a week or two, I have complete writer's block! Soooo, if you have any ideas on how this story might progress please comment and tell me!**

**-DarkAsTheNightSky**


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